The Edith Project
by Ladyembth
Summary: Dr. Anthony Strallan is an English physician starting over in San Francisco. Edith Crawley is a member of an old pioneer family with ties to the British Aristocracy. They meet under unusual circumstances and each is interested in the other. One wants to become more than just an acquaintance, the other is afraid to move forward.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: This is completely AU. I wanted to give Edith and Anthony a chance to be completely different than in canon. I wanted them away from 1920 and the aftermath of war. Therefore, I have pushed them ninety three years into the future, to San Francisco circa 2013. Anthony is not landed gentry but a physican offered a chance for a new start in the U.S. He has__** absolutely none**__ of the aliments that have plagued him in the series, but his charming personality is the same. I wanted this Anthony to be the man (like he was in series 1) who has confidence in himself and pursues Edith, a California girl who because of past experiences, has given up all hope of ever having a loving relationship. Favorite characters and not so favorite characters will show up completely different than they are in the series. Also, some new ones will show up too. _

_If you don't like Anthony and Edith in this time period , I understand. I wanted to give them some fun away from the constraints of the 1920's and the class system to which they always I don't own anything, Julian Fellowes does._

Chapter 1.

Anthony Strallan eased his rental car off of Interstate 5 at the SeaTac Airport (Seattle-Tacoma) exit. Always a punctual man, he wanted to give himself plenty of time to return his rental car and arrive at the terminal and check in for the 4:30 PM, Alaska Airlines flight 2436 non-stop to San Francisco. It was the checking in part that he hated the most; emptying his pockets, taking off his shoes, belt, watch and jacket. It always made him feel extremely vulnerable. He never knew if he would be patted down or X-rayed. Today's check in had gone smoothly though, and he made his way to the boarding area without any mishaps. He found a comfortable seat, took out the Wall Street Journal and proceeded to read until it was time to board.

His life had changed dramatically about twelve months earlier. Maud, his wife of fifteen years had asked for a divorce, citing the fact that she had fallen desperately in love with another man. He asked her for a chance to repair any damage that he might have caused, by going to a marriage counselor to see if they could salvage their marriage. She agreed and they went one time, where she promptly told the therapist that Anthony was boring, too bookish, too self-absorbed in his career, and couldn't , how was it she had put it, 'light her fires.'

It didn't do much for his self -esteem. He knew that, yes, he was somewhat socially impaired , boring and bookish, but he felt that he had always been better than average in bed; at least he didn't just jump Maud and get it over quickly. He actually enjoyed making love and foolish him, he thought Maud did too. Well it was obvious she did, just not with him.

But the business about his career was a low blow. Dr. Anthony Strallan was one of the most respected pediatricans in the UK. Early in his career he specialized in straight pediatrics, but soon expanded into pediatric orthopedics. He had written many articles for medical journals and had presented many papers at various seminars and medical conventions both in Europe and the United States. So it came as a complete surprise to him when shortly after his divorce he received an invitation from Dr. Robert Crawley, a colleague in the United States, to come to San Francisco, California and become head of pediatrics at CHSU (California Health and Science University) one of the most respected cutting edge teaching and research hospitals in U.S., but what really sealed the deal was that CHSU had recently merged with the Shriner Children's Hospital. It was an opportunity Anthony Strallan couldn't refuse. At age 48 he was going to leave the UK and his old life behind and start his career anew, 5,000 miles away in a new city and new country.

He sold his house, car and furniture. The only things he had shipped to California was his extensive collection of books, a small but well thought out art collection, his collection of old vintage medical instruments, and of course his clothes. He had contacted a realtor in San Francisco and through the miracle of FAX's and e-mail had purchased an apartment that had been converted to a condominium. It hadn't been cheap, but Anthony Strallan not only had his medical salary, he also was a large shareholder in the manufacturing company that his great- grandfather had started, which paid large dividends to him each year. And as dull and boring as he appeared, he was a savvy investor, interested in start-up companies. Everything taken into account, Dr. Anthony Strallan was a very wealthy man.

Since he didn't have to report to his new position until October 1, he had flown to San Francisco, got somewhat settled in his home, met his office staff and typical for him got things in order. Then he decided to take a three week vacation since he figured he wouldn't have time for another one for at least a year or more.

He flew to Vancouver, British Columbia. From there he took a Canadian ferry across the straits to Victoria, BC where his sister Margaret and her husband James lived. He had a restful three weeks. He fished and golfed with James and had a chance to reboot his relationship with his older sister whom he hadn't seen in ten years. It had been a wonderful, relaxing time and she encouraged him, where his private life was concerned , to put his past behind him and find someone to make his life complete.

He had laughed her off telling her that he was going to be too busy in his new job to bother with women, and maybe what Maud had said about him was true. He was rather dull and bookish and did seem to immerse himself too much in his career, therefore letting his private life fall to the wayside. Margaret just laughed at that and told him that some American woman would find him interesting, set her sights on him, and then he had better watch out. He cringed and told her that American women didn't interest him. The ones he had met in the past were far too aggressive, and besides he wanted to concentrate on his career and position. Margaret just patted him on the back like she had done so many times when they were children and said, "Of course dear, whatever you say," but secretly she hoped that he would indeed meet a lovely woman, someone who would take him out of himself and make him want to enjoy everything life had to offer, including she hoped, love.

As his vacation neared an end, Margaret encouraged him to rent a car and drive back to Seattle. At first he had balked at the idea, but now thinking back on it, he was glad he had driven; it gave him a chance to get used to driving on the right side of the road. He had taken the Washington State Ferry through the San Juan Islands to Anacortes, Washington where he merged onto Interstate 5 and drove the 94 miles to the Airport. It had been wonderful. He had seen whales, eagles, herons, otters, and sea lions. He decided he definitely wanted to go back to the San Juans, especially to that little town where the ferry stopped, Friday Harbor. Maybe in a year or so when his life and career settled down he would head back there for a vacation.

So here he sat reading his paper and waiting to board. Since this was Wednesday, he had already put on his calendar that he would go into the hospital on Thursday and Friday, check in again with his office and surgical staff, meet with his residents and interns and settle in a bit before starting full bore the following Monday. He also noticed on his calendar that this Friday night, Dr. Crawley was hosting a cocktail party to introduce the new staff members to the board of directors, donors, and other movers and shakers that made CHSU tick. He was somewhat nervous about the cocktail party; he never did well talking to people in a large social setting. Usually in the past, all his social gatherings dealt with medicine, and when doctors gathered together that is what they usually talked about – medicine. Hopefully he wouldn't make an ass of himself and come off as a stodgy, dull, socially inept physican; brilliant but boring.

However, little did he know as he sat reading his paper that his fate had already been decided. His life after Friday wasn't going to settle down at all. Just as his sister had predicted, destiny had already put its hand on him and set him on a collision course with the most remarkable woman he had ever met. Her name – Edith Crawley.

_San Francisco, CA is my hometown and I still live here. To me it is the most beautiful place in the world and certainly a city that helps people fall in love. Edith and Anthony don't meet each other until _

_chapter 6 because I wanted to steer them slowly toward this event, to give the readers a chance to see who they are. _


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Edith Crawley paid and tipped her cab driver as he let her out at the Alaska Airline terminal at the Seattle-Tacoma Airport. She had more than an hour to check her bag, go through the check point and make her way down Concourse A to the Alaska Airline boarding gate. Flight 2436 non-stop to San Francisco hopefully would depart on time at 4:30 pm. A little over two hours later she would finally be home.

This weekend had almost been her undoing. She had come north to attend the wedding of her former fiance's sister. Seeing his family again, and how loving and accepting of her they were after five years, almost brought all her pain and misery to the surface again. But Edith had changed in five years. The old phrase _'time heals all wounds'_ was somewhat true. What she thought would be a weekend of misery and sorrow turned out to be a time of happiness and remembrance.

She had met Graham Sutherland her freshman year at Stanford when she was eighteen and he was twenty-four. Other than her father, she was the only one in the Crawley family to go to college and actually graduate. Stanford was a prestigious university and it didn't matter how much money or clout your family had, at Stanford you either made the grade or didn't. Edith graduated with honors; she earned a degree in journalism and business

Maybe the reason she and Graham gravitated toward each other was that each one was rather nerdy. Graham was tall, with lank brown hair. He wore black horned rimmed glasses and had somewhat of an overbite. His sense of humor and especially his intellect is what attracted him to Edith. But it was his other traits, his kindness, thoughtfulness, and sincere appreciation of people who had less than he did that mad Edith love him. His goal in life was to help improve the lives of those less fortunate.

Edith in those days usually wore jeans, flannel shirts, and high-topped Converse tennis shoes. Looking at pictures of her then compared to what she looked like now, one would be challenged to think they were the same person. But Graham loved that quirky part of her and together they dreamed of the life they wanted to make and share together. He had received a double degree, one in engineering and the other in computer science. By the time he was twenty –seven, he and two of his classmates had formed a company that developed applications for cell phones and two years later had sold the company to Apple and taken a job with them as a design engineer. Even though selling his company made him a millionaire, he loved the challenge his job provided. The only perk he gave himself was a Porshe.

Life was good and Edith and Graham were looking forward to their wedding day until fate stepped in and Graham was severely injured in an automobile accident five weeks before their wedding. He lingered two days until his parents and Edith were told that his brain showed no activity. Because she wasn't his wife, Edith wasn't able to make the decision to remove him from life support– his father did; and three days later thirty-one year old Graham Sutherland was buried along with Edith Crawley's heart.

She left San Francisco driving aimlessly up through Oregon and Washington until she finally settled in the little town of Squim, Washington. Nestled on the east side of the Olympic mountains, Squim had a moderate climate, a small older population and was still close enough to Seattle by ferry if she needed anything from the big city. Squim suited her well. She rented a small furnished apartment, took a job as a waitress and slowly began to try and put her life back together. As a waitress she was able to observe the locals and she wrote about and drew the people and places she met and saw. She cried long and hard each day, but as the months wore on, she cried less and slowly she surprised herself that she could laugh and genuinely smile at the customers who came to the diner each day and called her '_sweetie'_ and '_honey'. _

After her graduation from Stanford, on a whim she went and saw the husband of one of her dearest friends, Lizzie Gregson. Michael Gregson was one of the editors of the San Francisco Guardian a liberal weekly newspaper. She showed him some of the stories she had written, mostly human interest stuff. He had told her that she had real talent and if she ever wanted a job writing a weekly column for him all she had to do was get in touch. One day she wrote him a letter and included copies of the stories she had written while living in Squim. She was shocked and pleased when he e-mailed her back offering her that chance to write a weekly column. All she had to do was call him when she returned to San Francisco and the job was hers.

So two years after Graham died, Edith returned to San Francisco and started writing her "Whispers" column. Her life took another drastic turn when Graham's lawyer wrote and asked for a meeting with her. It seemed that Graham had taken out a life insurance policy on himself after he sold his company and had made Edith the beneficiary. After signing all the necessary paperwork Edith Crawley received a check for three million dollars. His parents had inherited the bulk of his estate, and that was fine as far as she was concerned. Her money because of it being an insurance payout, was tax free. The entire amount was hers to do with as she pleased.

She bought herself a duplex in the Lower Pacific Heights area of the city and along with three good friends started the GS Foundation. She was determined to use the money to do good, to remember Graham in a positive way. But the money also gave her freedom. She only worked at the paper two days a week. She volunteered at CHSU two days a week and one day a week she worked at the Foundation. Her life had settled into a rhythm and she almost felt alive again.

Her heart hadn't completely healed when she started dating a doctor she met through mutual friends. She liked Dr. Gus Glasheen from the moment she met him. While physically he looked nothing like Graham, they did share the same kind of personality; shy, nervous around women, and very smart. And Gus had a quiet charm about him that enabled her to relax and be in the moment. He was the perfect man, or so she thought, to lead her slowly back to a happy life. However, five months into their relationship, Gus broke with her explaining that he had met someone else. Edith knew different. He had fallen within the radar of one Sylvia Warner. Sylvia, like Edith, came from a pioneer family and she and Sylvia had crossed paths many times. For lack of a better expression, Sylvia was a mantrap, and unfortunately for Edith, Sylvia had trapped Gus.

Embarrassed and devastated, Edith vowed never to put herself in that position again. She wasn't against love, she just decided she would never let herself fall in love again. It hurt too much and when it went wrong your heart was left in tatters. No, let love be for the dreamers and young at heart. She was a realist. She had loved twice, and twice was enough. She had endured enough emotional pain to last a lifetime.

Flight 2436 had just been called to board as she entered the gate area. She always liked to board last, mainly because by the time she entered the plane everyone elsehad finished putting their overhead carry-ons away, the aisle was somewhat clea,r and she could make her way to her seat without much difficultly. She usually rode first class, but today because the plane was full, she was only able to get a ticket in coach, and at the back of the plane at that. She didn't care, she had ridden back there before and she was tired and would probably nap most of the way home anyway. The noise of the engines would lull her to sleep.

As she took her seat she asked the flight attendant to wake her up when they were approaching San Francisco. It was then that she closed her eyes and relaxed. But, fate was busy re-arranging two lives that day. Sitting 18 rows in front of her, in first class, reading his paper, was her destiny. . . . Dr. Anthony Strallan.

AN_**: Edith is an 8**__**th**__** generation American. How her family came to be in California will be explored in a later chapter. She talks with a lilting accent, the result of a year spent in the UK researching her family connections to Downton Abbey. More about that later. **_


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Thomas Barrow stood beside his car trying to enjoy his cigarette, waiting for Edith to come out from baggage claim. He used to smoke real cigarettes, but Edith had made such a big ta-doo about his smoking, that he had given them up and now smoked the electronic ones. When he saw her heading toward him he blew out the last puff of vapor and put the thing in the breast pocket of his blazer. His sunglasses were in the car so he was squinting as she walked up to the car.

"Aren't these Indian Summer Days great," she said as she hugged him.

"What took you so long," he smiled as he grabbed her bags and put it in the trunk of his car.

"Well, I had to wait for all the other people to get their bags. You know from experience that mine are always the last ones to come out onto the carousel," she laughed as she opened the car door and climbed in.

"Well, how was the wedding? Meet anyone interesting?"

"The wedding was lovely and no I didn't meet anyone interesting. Why is it you always ask me that when I come home from a trip?" she remarked as she turned her head and looked at him over the top of her sunglasses.

"Don't look at me that way Punk, you are far too pretty, funny and intelligent to take the veil at age 30," he said as he started the car and pulled out of the no stopping or parking zone.

"I'm not taking the veil for God's sake," she huffed in response. "As I have told you a hundred times, I just don't want to walk down that road again. End of conversation, end of story. I'm tired, let's just ride in silence. I can still hear the plane engines in my head."

Thomas Barrow and Edith Crawley met at Stanford when she was eighteen and he was twenty six. He was getting his PhD in business and finance and the two of them hit it off immediately. He became the big brother she never had and she was the sister he had always wanted. She had accepted the fact that he was gay from the very beginning, and through the years she had proven to be a good barometer in helping him gauge any possible companions. Punk was the nickname he had given her shortly after they met. Because of the way she dressed and acted back then, he often referred to her as nothing more than a _'punk kid'_ and the name had stuck.

Thomas came from an old Spanish land grant family. The land had been deeded to his family in the 1760's when what is now California belonged to Spain. For over 250 years the Barrows had slowly Anglicized their Spanish name and kept acquiring land either through marriage or purchase. Their holdings today were huge. The original land grant of almost 20,000 acres in the Napa valley was still mostly intact and contributed heavily to the California wine industry. But his family had added other holdings in Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado and Arizona as well. The Barrow family was richer than the Crawleys could ever hope to be.

Thomas was also a venture capitalist. Through his company, _Yerba Buena Investments_, he helped many young start-ups find investors who wanted to take a chance on a small company with promising potential. Many small companies in California and Oregon owed their start and success to his connection,s and his business savvy produced high dividends for those willing to take the risk. Edith had given him some of her money to invest, and her returns shocked her. Thomas was successful at what he did. He was known from coast to coast and was sought after by investors.

"Wake up sleepy head, we're almost there," He said as he pulled onto Broderick St. and nudged Edith's shoulder.

"Um, I must have been more tired than I thought, "she said as she stretched her legs out in front of her and pushed her palms against the roof of the car to get the kinks out.

Charles Carson, a retired English Literature professor from Berkley, and her renter, was out front sweeping the sidewalk when Thomas pulled to a stop in front of the house.

"Lady Edith," he smiled as he made a slight bow as she eased herself out of the car. "As you can see, Elsie and I didn't let the place go to pot while you were gone." Because he was English, Charles had always referred to her as Lady Edith. Since her roots were English as well, she somewhat enjoyed the formality of her name.

"Charles, what would I do without you?" Edith teased as Thomas retrieved her bags from the car.

"All of your mail is on your entry table and because the weather has been so nice I took it upon myself to open some of your windows. You know us English, fresh air and all," he smiled as he continued to sweep the sidewalk .

"You are truly a dear. I don't think I could ever have anyone else living next to me other than you and Elsie. You both take such good care of me," she laughed as she headed up the stairs to the door.

"You, my dear need _a someone_ to live with you, _a someone_ to love you and _a someone_ to cherish you," he said as he stopped and leaned against his broom.

Edith knew Charles meant well, but she rolled her eyes nevertheless as she unlocked the door.

"So how about lunch on Friday, Punk. " Thomas said as took her bags into her bedroom. I have to pick up a new suit at Nordstrom, you could go with me and badger me into buying a new tie to wear with it and then I would treat you to lunch. I'll wear it to your father's gala Friday night. What do you say?"

"How come you are buying a suit off the rack, that isn't like you," she said.

I have two new ones in the works at the tailors, but they are backlogged and since I have to leave for New York on Friday night, I thought I would just get a ready-made one. Any objections?"

"Of course not, don't be silly, she said as she picked up her mail and fumbled through it.

" Alright, you're on, I will meet you in the men's suit department at Nordstrom on Friday at 11:00," she said nonchalantly giving him what he always called_, 'the look.'_

"See you then," he said as he kissed her on the cheek and left.

But before Thomas made it to the door Edith grabbed him and hugged him.

"Thank you for picking me up at the airport and thank you for being my best friend. I love you, you know."

"I know you do," he said as he started walking down the stairs. But two steps down he turned to her again and said with a serious tone to his voice, "You need to say that to someone who doesn't love you like a sister. Charles is right, you need someone to really love you and who you can love back," he laughed as he shook hands with Charles and jumped into his car.

Edith watched him drive away shaking her head. She took out her I-phone and put 11:00 Nordstrom on the Friday calendar. Little did she know that this appointment would change he life.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Anthony Strallan let himself into his flat (he couldn't get used to calling the space a condominium) and dropped his bags in the entry. He had enjoyed his brief vacation with his sister but now he had to get the place in shape and concentrate on re-starting his career.

He was excited more so than he had been in a long time. As head of pediatrics he would be involved in cutting edge treatments for children, especially those with Cancer. And because CHSU now had The Shriner Hospital as part of the picture, children would be treated with the latest techniques and medicines from cardiology to psychiactry. It was heady stuff ; and for him he was exactly where he wanted to be career wise.

He had purchased his flat from an elderly couple, and his realtor had informed him that they wanted to sell as much of their furniture and carpets as they could. He made arrangements for them to leave everything, let their real estate agent know how much they wanted for each item, and when he took possession he would decide what he wanted to keep and mail a check to them. He had been impressed when he saw the quality of furnishings and carpets. Many of the pieces reminded him of the ones he had left behind, so in the end he kept almost everything. His clothes had arrived along with his personal items so he was able to hang his suits, shirts, ties and unpack most of his books and art before he left for Canada.

Thursday morning he headed to the hospital. He had only briefly met his office staff and his secretary/personal assistant, Mazie Appollo when he was there a few weeks before. Mazie was a well- endowed African American woman with a personality and attitude that somewhat intimated Anthony. He knew perfectly well that in the pecking order of things, he was the boss, but he silently wondered if Mazie knew that. He didn't know old she was, about fifty he thought, but he knew that she was in charge of his office, the nursing station outside, and his residents and interns. She made all the schedules as well as his. In order for people to see him, including Dr. Robert Crawley, Chief of Staff, they would have to go through her. She had worked at the hospital for over fifteen years and there wasn't anything that went on there that she didn't know about, not to mention that she knew practically everyone on staff.

She was already waiting for him when he arrived at 9:00.

"Good morning Dr. Strallan," she said in her husky, southern tinged voice. "I've been waiting for you," she said as she moved past him and into his office.

"I'm sorry, Miss Appollo. Next week I will make sure I am here by 8:00, and I know that surgeries start at 7:00."

He was embarrassed. He felt like he was tardy for school.

Mazie just looked at him. _Hmm,_ she thought smiling to herself. _ This one is going to be easy to train._

"Before we start doctor, let's get one thing straight. I am Mazie, not Miss. Appollo."

"Hm. . . . .all right then. . . . . Mazie," Anthony said somewhat hesitantly. He had to keep reminding himself that he was in California not the UK, and life was much more informal here, not to mention the women.

First stop was his desk. Mazie showed him how to log onto the new computer system and pull up his schedule. She handed him a list of all the doctors , residents and interns assigned to his service; their office numbers, phone numbers and daily schedules. Somehow Anthony was beginning to think of pediatrics as a small little town and Mazie was the mayor.

She informed him that if his schedule needed changing, to tell her, not to do it himself, and if he couldn't remember how to work the system, let her know. She didn't want her systems' _goofed_ _up_' by amateurs. She told him to please not mess up his desk, but keep everything where she could see it in case he asked her to get a file or a piece of correspondence, she wanted to be able to find it.

Next she showed him his private bathroom where she had hung his white lab coats. Each one was new with his name neatly embroidered over the pocket. There was also a clean pile of blue surgical scrubs.

"When I met you a few weeks ago I sized you up and ordered the coats and scrubs for you. If they are not the right size, let me know, but, I hardly ever make a mistake on things like that. When you are done with them, put them in the hamper, don't leave them on the floor or slung over one of the office chairs," she said as she held his gaze and continued moving.

Anthony tried to get a word in, but he figured he was better off listening. When she was done, then he would ask questions, if he dared.

"If you will give me your cell phone, I will program in all of the important hospital numbers that you will need," she said as she held out her hand. He didn't question her but he wondered how she would be able to do that since her fingernails were at least an inch long and painted a bright red. He handed his I-phone to her like he was in a trance. "I will have this ready for you in thirty minutes," she said as she put it in the pocket of a skirt that Anthony thought was at least one size too small.

"And, I have scheduled you for a lunch break at 1:00 each day. I know you live alone so you probably don't eat breakfast and if you do, it is probably tea and toast. I don't want you crabby because you are hungry. The hospital cafeteria has a very nice employee dining room and a new chef. The food and menu are quite good and since we were written up in the Guardian, the cafeteria has more business than ever before. 1:00 is the perfect time for you to break for lunch, because the lunch rush is over and other doctors head down there about the same time. It will give you a chance to meet people who aren't assigned to us. Also, I know that people from England like afternoon tea, so just tell me when you want to have yours and I will make sure it is ready."

_Good God!_ He thought. _I haven't been here ten minutes and already she has my days planned out._

"Oh, and by the way," she continued as she reached the office door," Monte Shelton Jaguar called to say that your new car was ready and you could pick it up anytime. I told them that they could just deliver it to you here, because any man who could afford a new Jaguar didn't need to run the errand to get it himself. I'll call them and when the delivery boy comes, I will bring in the paperwork. "

"Also", she said not bothering to come up for air, "Every Monday morning there is a 9:00 staff meeting in the conference room outside Dr. Crawley's office. He's a stickler, so make sure you get here in plenty of time. It is on your computer, but I will program it into your phone as well."

"Anything else? Doctor?"

Anthony just stood there dumbstruck. "Uh. . . . .no. . . . . I think you covered everything that I need to know. "Oh, yes there is one thing. I need to buy a birthday present. Can you suggest a good store?"

Mazie put her hands on her hips and said, "Here, I will write some down for you. Trust me, you will like them, but this one here has valet parking, she said as she tapped her nails over the name of one of the stores.

"Anything else, doctor?" she asked, and Anthony just stood there and shook his head.

"No, I think you have given me all the information I need."

"Good," she said. "Welcome to CHSU. I know that you and I are going to get along just fine."

/ / / / / / /

AN: I have taken a huge liberty with the hospital in this story. OHSU (Oregon Health and Science University) is located in Portland, Oregon and it is well known world wide. It has been instrumental in Cancer research and one of the leading Cancer drugs_, Gleevec_ was developed and tested there. It has saved thousands of lives and I wanted it to be in SF, so I moved it there.

There is a Shriner Children's Hospital in Sacramento, CA, but I wanted it affiliated with the one in CHSU, so I moved it there too. Shriner's is a cutting edge hospital in the treatment of children's diseases and children are treated free.

My father was a physician and his nurse was a woman just like Mazie. Everyone loved her, so I put her in this story. She was great and she took no prisoners. She will be instrumental in bringing Anthony and Edith together.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Edith woke up earlier than usual on Friday morning. Today was going to be busy– a lot to do before her father's cocktail party at 7:00. She always wondered why her parents insisted she attend these CHSU events. It took her a few years to finally realize that although her sister Mary was the beautiful one who could dazzle and charm, she didn't enjoy mixing with people she considered dull. Her younger sister Sybil was the funny one, who could make people laugh, but talked endlessly and sometimes monopolized conversations. No, it was she, plain old Edith, that knew practically everyone, could mingle, introduce interesting people to each other, and put people at ease with her genuine niceness. She was brilliant at _'working the room'. _It was a special talent that she alone had, and her father had told her many times how he relied on her in these situations to get people moving and meeting each other.

He had mentioned to her more than once, how smart and funny she was and how colleagues enjoyed talking to her. Edith was always flabbergasted when her father complimented her in any way. Even though she knew that Mary was his favorite, somehow she had managed to walk out of Mary's shadow and forge a life for herself, one that made her father notice her in a much different way than he ever had before. Despite setbacks, she had developed into a charming and sophisticated woman who could hold her own in any social setting.

Her mingling also gave her a chance to talk about her little Foundation. She always looked upon these events as a chance to hit up some of these wealthy people for contributions. Thomas always told her she was like a hammer in a velvet glove. Those unsuspecting doctors and businessman didn't stand a chance once she went to work on them. He told her that she should come and work for him; with her charm she could sell ice cream to Eskimos.

She dressed carefully choosing a grey suit with a long jacket and a skirt about 2" above her knees. She wore grey tights and her grey suede 4" heels. She would head over to the paper, talk to Michael Gregson about some new ideas for her 'Whispers' column, and then head to Nordstrom to meet up with Thomas.

Michael Gregson had proven to be a wonderful editor and a good friend. She pitched some of her new ideas for the column and as always Michael listened intently and gave her feedback. She still wanted to write her human interest stuff, but she also wanted to expand and write about topics that were current such as the new surge of interest in things old that were new again; such as preserving foods. Michael gave her the go ahead to write some articles, bring them in and they would look them over together. She left the meeting with her head in the clouds. Everything was moving in the direction she had planned.

As she entered Nordstrom and walked into the men's suit department, she saw him by the mirror. Thomas Barrow was a very handsome man. His Spanish heritage and slim figure made many a young lady turn their heads. She felt a brief pang as she looked at him. If not for his sexual choice, she felt they might have been good for each other. She smiled and brushed that thought aside as she had so many times before, smiled walked toward him; he would now and forever be her best friend.

"Nice suit, and to think you picked it out without me." She laughed as she hugged him.

"Well, I thought you could pick out a couple of new shirts and some ties for me. I don't want you to feel left out, and besides you have wonderful taste in men's clothes. Too bad you don't have someone special you could shop for , and completely change them and their wardrobe.

"I have told you , and I can't even begin to count how many times, how I feel about this subject. I can't do it again, put myself out there, care for someone, want to be with him , only to have him leave."

"Glassheen is an idiot," Thomas said as he followed her over to the tie display. "And he is paying the price for dumping you and marrying Sylvia. Anyone with their ear to the ground knows that Sylvia doesn't love him, finds him cloddish, and only married him for his money and position. Talk around town is that she flirts openly with other men in front of him, and probably cheats on him every chance she gets. And he, the dumb ass, just keeps taking her back. What men will put up with for arm candy."

Edith stopped and looked at him. The hurt in her eyes was apparent and he kicked himself for opening his big mouth and mentioning Dr. Gus Glassheen.

"It did hurt, more than hurt. I really cared for Gus, and when he broke with me, it stung big time, you know that. But, that being said I am sorry that his marriage is such a sham. He deserves better, especially better than Sylvia. But maybe he thinks if he waits long enough one day she will turn around and really see him and realize how much he loves her. One can only hope. He is a good and decent man Thomas, he really is. Now, let's change the subject," she whispered as she held up two ties against his chest, nodded and handed them to him to buy.

"I want to go over to handbags and see if they have something small that I can sling over my shoulder; something glitzy to carry tonight, "she said as she headed off across the store after Thomas made his purchase.

Edith didn't notice the tall man, obviously out of his element, walking around the handbag section of the store, but Thomas did. While Edith was looking at small evening bags, Thomas kept eyeing the man. Finally stepping in front of her he said, "How would you like to earn $1000.00 for the Foundation today, right now?"

"Doing what?" her attention suddenly focused on him and the mention of money.

"See that man over there," Thomas said as he inclined his head in the man's direction. "Obviously he knows nothing about handbags. Look how he's just wandering around and there isn't a clerk nearby to help him. If you can get him to purchase a handbag, the money is yours. What do you say to that? You haven't had a challenge like this in a while," Thomas laughed trying to keep a straight face.

Edith studied the man. She was surprised that there wasn't a clerk nearby. Nordstrom was known for their customer service and departments usually didn't go unattended. And, he did look rather lost.

"O.K. I'll do it, but I want this little purse. Go find the clerk, buy this, and keep her busy. The clerks here are pretty; flirt with her. When I get him to the register tell her that she has another customer waiting. Then she can ring him up and I will meet you in the café. Be sure to have my money ready!"

"Deal," he said as he looked around and noticed a clerk in the next section of the department.

Edith smoothed her skirt and headed for the man. He was nice looking and impeccably dressed. Approaching him and giving him one of her megawatt smiles she said,

"These are lovely handbags aren't they? Are you looking for a particular style?"

"Style?" he said somewhat confused and taken aback by the pretty woman standing next to him.

"Yes, style. You know there are many different types. Are you buying this for your wife?"

"My. . .uh. . . . wife?" he said, and for a moment Edith thought he looked embarrassed. "Uh. . . . .no, I am buying this for my sister. It's her birthday and I wanted to get her something special."

"Well, you have come to the right place. Special is what we sell. So tell me, how old is your sister?"

"Mid- fifties. . . .uh. . . why?" he said beginning to feel somewhat nervous and uncomfortable at being asked these personal questions by a perfect stranger.

"Well you see there are three basic styles of bags. One is the east/west style," she said as she held her hands in front of her about shoulder width apart. "Then there is the north/south or tote style and she did the same with her hands again only holding them equal with her chin and waist, and the third is the satchel style.

She could tell he was confused so she continued. "Personally, I prefer the east/west bags. When you open them up everything is there, easy to see. With the tote style and even some satchel styles everything falls to the bottom and you have to usually dig for what you want."

"Well. . . . . . I guess she would probably prefer the uh . . . . . east/west style?" he said more confused than ever.

"Excellent choice, now let me show you some lovely bags. Did you have a certain price range in mind?"

"No," he answered. " I honestly don't know anything about women's handbags. This is the first time I have ever purchased anything like this. My secretary . . uh . . no. . . . I mean my administrative assistant, told me that this was the place come."

"Well, she was absolutely right, " Edith smiled as she led him over to the Dooney and Burke display. This was an old established company and their handbags wore like iron. Every woman who ever owned one tired of it long before it ever wore out.

Edith felt like she was on a caffeine high. She was chattering like a magpie, pointing out the different handbags, continuing to extoll the virtues of all of them, and noticed that he seemed to be following along.

"Where does your sister live?" she asked.

"Uh. . . . . . . . . . . in Victoria, BC.

"Oh, what a beautiful city. "I know it well, I've been there many times," she jabbered on. She stopped in front of a display of the company's basic bag. It had a zipper top, a pocket on the outside for a cell phone, and an extra strap so that you could wear it across your body – bandolier style. "Did you have a particular color in mind? This particular bag comes in black, navy, brown, and this new color that I think is absolutely devine, honey.

"Excuse me?" he asked eyes wide open and looking at her in dismay." Did he just hear her call him honey?

"Honey, this new color is called honey. _What is the matter with him_, she thought . _Am I talking too fast_ _and not making things clear enough for him._

She took it off of the display and showed him how it could be carried. She showed him how easy it was to unzip and how one could see everything inside. There was a clasp inside for car keys and another one attached to the inside to hold credit cards and small change. Looking at him Edith smiled to herself. She knew she had him. Another thirty seconds or so she would have him at the counter and her foundation would be $1000.00 richer. She took the strap out of the purse, attached it to the bag and put it across her body so he could see and understand what she was talking about.

"Anthony Strallan was in a daze. Here he was a 48 year old man and he was nervous as a school boy. His hands were sweaty. " I. . . .uh. . . . like the looks of this bag," he said as he held up the honey colored one, " and I think my sister will too," he finally managed to say although he thought later that the words somehow just stumbled out of his mouth. "And what is the price?" he said smiling a crooked, quirky smile. For some unknown reason he suddenly felt too tall and awkward in front of this woman.

"Looking at the price tag Edith said, "It is $348.00 and I think you have made a wonderful choice. If I were your sister, I would be very excited to get a gift like this from my brother. Now, would you like to follow me to the register and we can see about getting this purchased and delivered to your sister," Edith said as she grabbed the bag and motioned for him to follow her to the counter. She noticed that Thomas was just finishing up with her purchase.

"If you will just wait here, I will go and get one of our senior clerks to help you finish. Be sure to tell her that you want to send this to Canada, via UPS ground.

"But I thought you were a clerk," Anthony said, somehow regaining his senses.

"I haven't quite mastered this new digital register," Edith answered as she placed the bag on the glass counter. " Please, just wait here and I will fetch that young woman over there. Thank you so much for the sale. You know we work on commission, " she said as she leaned forward and whispered to him, her hand on his arm. _Gracious he is tall,_ she thought , _Too bad he_ _is so shy and awkward._

"Good-by, "she said, and thank you for shopping at Nordstrom." With that Edith moved toward the other counter. Anthony watched her walk toward the other clerk and he smiled slightly to himself. He was no different than any other man, he appreciated a beautiful woman when he saw one. Some men were breast men, but he was definitely a leg man. He had to admit to himself that he had never seen such a beautiful pair of legs, beautifully shaped and in perfect proportion to the rest of her. And those high heels she was wearing just accentuated them even more. He suddenly felt like a clod, he didn't even introduce himself and maybe get her name in the process. He watched her say something to the clerk, turn and nod to him and then walk away toward the café on the other side of the store. Well, he would tell this other clerk about her and make sure that she got the commission for the sale.

So as Edith walked confidently toward the café with a huge satisfied smile on her face ,she had no idea of the hornet's nest she had stirred up back in handbags, and that this encounter with the tall, handsome man was the first of many to come.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The café at Nordstrom was situated in the corner of the main floor of the store. Its menu consisted mainly of salads, soup, and sandwiches along with some fabulous desserts. The café was open to the store and as Edith entered she noticed that Thomas already had a table in her favorite section; along the side, close to the front where she could people watch.

"I have ordered you a Cobb salad," he remarked . "And here is that little evening bag you wanted."

Edith opened the silver Nordstrom shopping bag and took out the small purse. It was studded with rhinestones on a long silver chain. She liked the way it shimmered in the light and knew that it would be perfect to carry tonight. Being small it wouldn't get in her way while going through the buffet line.

"And, where is my check?" she remarked as she put the evening bag away.

"Can I eat first?" he joked back.

" Of course! Just take out your checkbook and put it on the table where I can see it."

"So, how was it after all this time playing the money game?" he inquired.

"It was fine. He was a very nice man, although somewhat shy, and his eyes Thomas , they were the deepest blue I have ever seen. I hope he is happy with his purchase. It was a handbag for his sister you know. Imagine that, a man buying something that nice for his sister," she said in a dreamy tone that Thomas hadn't heard in a long time.

"I bought that little purse for you," he laughed as he inclined his head toward the Nordstrom bag.

"Not quite the same. We are not related by blood, and besides I had already pointed it out to you, so there!" she laid laughing as she took a sip of her water.

Edith put her napkin in her lap just as the waitress delivered their lunch. She had just put the first bite in her mouth when she looked up from her plate to see the tall man walking toward her with an unhappy expression on his face.

"What the. . . . . . . . . " but she couldn't say anything more before he stopped in front of her. She noticed right away that he was agitated.

"I don't know who you are young lady or what sort of game you are playing, but I just wanted you to know that your little joke back there has probably cost the real clerk her job."

"What! . . . . . .what are you talking about?" Edith croaked back, taking a drink of her water and wiping her mouth with her napkin."

"Selling me a handbag when you aren't even a clerk. The manager of the department gave the real clerk an undeserved dressing down about how unprofessional it was that a stranger was able to walk around her department, among expensive handbags, pretend to be a clerk and perhaps drive a paying customer away," the man said never losing eye contact.

"Dressing down? Hm. . . . . .tell me is that the same as getting reprimanded, talked to, bawled out, called on the carpet, she said as she rose to her feet with an exasperated look on her face and threw her napkin on her chair.

"Yes, it is, and that young lady over there is in tears afraid that she is going to lose her job," he continued, "because of your silly prank."

"Prank! I don't call selling a $348.00 handbag a prank," and now Edith was getting agitated.

Thomas all the while kept eating his salad and enjoying this exchange. He hadn't seen Edith this much on her game in a long time.

"Oh I've had enough of this." Reaching down and grabbing her Nordstrom sack, she took hold of the man's hand and pulled him back in the direction of handbags. Anthony was flabbergasted. _What on earth is_ _she doing_? he thought. He tried to let go of her hand but she had a vice-like grip on it.

Walking up to the counter Edith dropped his hand and surveyed the situation. An older woman whose name tag said Miss. O'Brien was standing next to the young clerk who had helped Thomas. Her name tag said Gwen and a person would have to be deaf, dumb and blind not to notice that she was terribly upset.

"I understand there seems to be a problem regarding the sale of a handbag to this gentleman," Edith said in the calm professional voice that she used when she wanted to get her point across in a meeting.

"Did you lead this gentleman to believe you were a clerk here?" Miss O'Brien asked, putting authority in her voice.

"No, I never once told this man that I worked here ," Edith countered.

"What? " he answered. "You most certainly did. You walked me around the department telling me all about the different styles of handbags."

Turning her head, heaving a deep sigh, and looking straight at him she said, "Just because a woman knows a lot about handbags doesn't necessarily mean that she is a clerk in the store. I've had gentlemen ask my opinion about many different things, from perfume to neckties when they have been shopping for a woman or themselves."

"Miss O'Brien," Edith said making a point to look at her name tag and then at her. " I saw this gentleman walking around looking somewhat perplexed. This young lady was busy helping another customer so I just thought I would help him. I simply told him about the different styles of bags, showed him some, he picked one that he thought would do the job and I brought him to the counter . I told him to wait for Gwen here to finish her transaction with her other customer, purchase the bag, and to be sure to tell the clerk. . . oh I'm sorry. . . . . sales associate. . . . that he wanted it shipped UPS ground. Believe me that was all that happened," she said as she set her jaw and looked daggers at him.

"Well, he told us that you told him you didn't know how to run our new electronic registers and that is why he should wait for Gwen. We don't want any of our customers to ever have to wait."

"That's true, I did tell him I didn't know anything about the new registers. Why would I, I don't work here," Edith stated again.

"Miss O'Brien," she continued, this department in the space of fifteen minutes sold two bags totaling $500.00" Pulling hers out of its sack along with the receipt she continued. "My friend was purchasing this one for me from Gwen at the other counter. And while we are on the subject, may I ask what started all this commotion?" she asked looking directly at Anthony Strallan with an exasperated look on her face.

"I just wanted to make sure that you got the commission," he said never losing eye contact and leaning down slightly toward her. "Remember, the last thing you said to me was that you work on commission. When I kept mentioning you, Miss. O'Brien and this young lady didn't know who I was talking about. You, young woman have managed to get two people completely confused and me embarrassed for trying to get extra money for someone who doesn't even work here," he said and he was somewhat surprised that he was raising his voice.

Edith stepped back and looked at each or the three people in front of her shaking her head she said,

"Miss. O'Brien, I am sorry for any misunderstanding that was caused today, it certainly wasn't intentional . Gwen was doing her job; she was helping my friend when this gentleman was looking at handbags. She doesn't deserve to be reprimanded or fired. She has done nothing wrong. All in all in the space of about fifteen minutes she managed to make two large sales and I hope for her sake a nice commission," Edith said with determination; _so there_, _chew on that for a while_, she thought.

"I might also add that if you had scheduled two sales associates in this department today, maybe this incident wouldn't have happened, "she added as an afterthought.

Again turning to Anthony and staring into his blue eyes, she said, "I'm sorry for any inconvenience I caused you sir." I hope your sister likes her handbag. Now if there isn't anything else, I have a salad that is getting soggy," and with that Edith turned and left three dazed people behind her.

Returning to her table, she noticed that Thomas had written her a check. Looking at it she saw that it was for $1500.00.

"Why the extra $500.00," she asked him.

"I thought you earned it," he smiled as he continued to eat.

"I'll give you the receipt tonight," she said as she pushed her salad around her plate still agitated about what had just happened. "Thank you! This will help Raoul buy that new piece of equipment he wanted for his fishing boat."

"You know Edith, Graham would be proud of you. You have parlayed the money he left you into a Foundation that really helps people; really makes a difference," he said as he reached out and squeezed her hand. "Now finish your lunch, go home, take a nap and I will see you later at the cocktail party. Forget about what just happened. Most likely you will never see any of those people again."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

It was about 2:30 in the afternoon when Edith returned home. Built in 1915 after the huge earthquake, from the street it looked like a regular Victorian style house, but in reality it was built like an 'L'. She lived in the main part and Charles and Elsie Carson lived in the smaller unit. A short driveway with a garage ran along her side of the house enclosing a lovely garden area where she and the Carsons puttered away during the spring and summer, growing fruits, flowers and vegetables. Elise Carson had taught Edith how to preserve the food they grew. The pantry in her kitchen was filled with the result of her labor; jams, pickles, peaches, pickled beets, tomato sauce etc. Last Christmas she had given some of her jams away as gifts and even her mother and sisters were impressed. Now with the encouragement of Michael Gregson she was going to write about this '_old is new again trend_.'

Because of her investment portfolio, she had made a large down payment on her home in order to qualify for a mortgage. She was proud of herself; she was able to meet all her monthly financial obligations without any problems. She also felt great satisfaction in the fact that she didn't have to use any of her trust fund money. Even her father was impressed, so much so that he invested some of his Crawley money with Thomas as well.

Her part of the house was long and narrow. The front door entered onto the main hall and all of the rooms were off this one long space. To the left at the end of the hall was the staircase that led to the third bedroom. The main living room , library, two bedrooms, two bathrooms, kitchen and dining room all had doors off the hall. A beautiful oriental carpet ran the length of it.

Edith wasn't anything like the image she portrayed. While people might think her a leather, glass, and chrome type person because of the modern and edgy way she dressed, in reality she was a traditional conservative, preferring upholstered chairs and sofas , dark wood tables, and deep plush oriental rugs. She liked warm and cozy and her home was definitely that. Each room in her home had her signature all over it. Family pictures smiled out of silver frames from every room in the house including the kitchen and bathrooms. Her library was bright with two big overstuffed chairs. She liked old books so she went to local flea markets on the weekends to search them out. She had turned her formal dining room into her office and TV room because it opened off the kitchen. Vintage fabric had been sewn into throw pillows and window treatments. Old vases and silver pieces were used throughout the house to hold everything from cooking utensils to cotton balls. Her home was a beautiful reflection of who she was; a romantic, only without romance.

She took off her clothes and put on her robe. She then opened the window in her bedroom, turned on the radio, and flopped down on her bed. She set the alarm for 5:00 which would give her plenty of time to shower and head over to the Ritz Carlton Hotel for the cocktail party. She relaxed as a cool fall breeze filtered in through the window. San Francisco had an energy all its own, and the hum of the city soon lulled her to sleep.

The alarm went off but Edith hit the snooze button and drifted back to sleep. When she finally surfaced and looked at the clock it said 5:45. _Damn,_ she thought, _I will never hear the end of it if I am late tonight. Dad told me to be there on time because of this new heavy hitter on staff._ Heading toward her bathroom she turned the shower on and jumped in. The warm water felt good after the anxiety of the handbag incident. She kept turning up the hot water and lingered in the shower until the water started to turn cold. The shower had done wonders, it had jolted her awake and removed some of the stiffness from her nap. Once out and dry, she put on her body lotion, her favorite perfume, did her hair and make-up and then called Elsie to come and help her zip up her dress. Edith could always be counted on to show up to one of her parent's functions in some flirty little number that her friend Anna Smith had designed. Tonight's dress was no exception. Made of sapphire blue satin, it was sleeveless, skimmed her collarbones in the front and plunged almost to her waist in the back.

While waiting for Elise, Edith called William Mason, a young entrepreneur that the Foundation had helped get started in the limousine business, to confirm that he was on his way. She had set it up with him to pick her up about 6:30 in one of the small cars. Very seldom did she drive her car to these events. Even though there was usually valet parking, she didn't like to drive if she knew she would be drinking, and after today's events she felt that she was going to need at least a minimum of three cocktails to get her through the evening.

"This is a very stunning dress," Elise said as she zipped it up. It will definitely turn heads, along with your shoes I might add. "

"Do you think they are too much? I really couldn't resist them," Edith said as she held out her long, nylon encased leg and moved the 4" rhinestone encrusted platform shoe from side to side.

"Well you will certainly dazzle all those stuffy doctors and business types. They will have a hard time concentrating on anything you are talking about. You are very pretty Edith, even though you don't believe me."

Edith just laughed and rolled her eyes. She hugged Elsie and kissed her on the cheek, grabbed her new glitzy handbag and coat and went outside where William was waiting with the car. Once settled inside he said,

"So what time do you want me to come back and pick you up?"

"I don't know, this thing starts at 7:00 but because of this traffic and the fact I overslept, I 'm already going to be twenty minutes late. Usually these affairs start breaking up around 9:00, but why don't I call you later and let you know."

"Where do you want me to let you out?" he said twenty minutes later as he eased the car into the driveway of the hotel.

"Right at the main entrance. This wing-ding is being held in the small ballroom next to the lobby. Very posh as the English would say," she laughed as William stopped the car and came around to help her out.

"I'll see you later then," he called after her as she waved to him and headed toward the main doors.

Entering the hotel she noticed Thomas right away. He was pacing back and forth looking at his watch. Spying her he said,

"What took you so long, your father has been pestering me about where you are and why you didn't come with me," he laughed as Edith entered the cloak room area. He took her coat and checked it in and Edith noticed that he had a funny expression on his face, like he knew something she didn't.

"C'mon, let's go find Dr. C. Nice dress and shoes by the way, real sexy. I especially like your bag," he laughed as he took her arm, slapped a name tag on her left shoulder and started to lead her through the crowd. Edith recognized almost all of the people there except the new doctors .She stopped and greeted Dr. and Mrs. Richard Clarkson, two people she adored, and her father's chief of staff, Joesph Mosely . She saw her mother Cora, and was able to stop just long enough to say hello and kiss her, but didn't have much of an opportunity to talk because suddenly her father materialized at her side.

"There you are, where have you been? I've been looking all over for you," he said as he gently took her elbow and eased her along through the crowd heading for a group of people off to one side.

I've been here, walking around talking to people just the way you like me too," she answered looking at him and then atThomas who still had that silly look on his face.

"Well, I would like you to pay particular attention to Dr. Strallan tonight. He is new to the city and I have noticed that he seems somewhat uncomfortable around people he doesn't know. You know practically everyone here, so please take him around and introduce him and make sure he gets something to eat," her father said hurrying her along through the crowd of people.

She looked back over her shoulder to see that Thomas was right behind her still looking like the cat that swallowed the canary.

"Why do you always want me to help these socially inept people?" she asked. "Why not Mary?"

"Because Mary doesn't have the skills you do, my darling. She is beautiful and alluring, but in social settings you can dance rings around her."

Edith was speechless. Her father had never, ever given her a compliment like that. She thought she might faint from the sheer impact of it.

She stopped to say hello to Dr. George Murray and his wife Evelyn, another couple that she liked very much. Feeling her father tug on her arm and hearing her name she turned just in time to hear,

" Dr. Anthony Strallan, may I introduce you to my middle daughter Edith . Edith, this is Dr. Strallan , our new head of pediatrics. The blue eyes that were looking at her were the same color as her dress and she had seen them before. They were the eyes of the man she had had the confrontation with earlier in the day_. Great balls of fire,_ she laughed to herself as she looked at him. _Nothing surprises me anymore._


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Something between a gasp and a laugh escaped Edith's throat. _So this is Dr. Anthony Strallan_ she thought to herself. Not missing a beat, Edith held out her hand and much to her surprise said in a voice ringing with laughter, "How do you do, Dr. Strallan. I am very happy to make your acquaintance – at long last," and she grabbed his hand in much the same way as she had done earlier in the day and began to shake it.

Anthony Strallan only hoped that his mouth wasn't hanging open. All he could manage to say was, "The pleasure is mine, I can assure you."

"Anthony, Edith is going to take you around and introduce you to some of the people who are wandering around here tonight," Robert Crawley laughed. "Since she volunteers at the hospital, she knows practically everyone and will be able to point out people that you will most likely come into contact with on a daily basis, as well as some of the board members and their wives. Also, I am sure that she wouldn't mind showing you around the city when you have time; local highlights and all that. You wouldn't mind doing that would you, Edith?" her father continued and it sounded more like an order than a request.

"Of course, it would be a pleasure," Edith responded giving her father the look that said, _'Now_ _you have gone_ _too far.'_

"I wouldn't want to put Miss. Crawley to any trouble," Anthony said, trying to sound casual and not flustered.

"No trouble at all, right Edith?" Robert said again.

All Edith could do was nod. "Well, that's settled then. I will check in with you two later and Edith, don't forget to get Dr. Strallan something to eat later. When you are ready, bring him to the table with our name," and with that Robert Crawley moved off through the crowd.

Suddenly Edith realized that she and Strallan were still holding hands. Blushing up to her hairline she dropped her hand and turned toward Thomas. "Dr. Strallan, may I introduce Thomas Barrows, an old friend of our family and the CEO of Yerba Buena Investments. If you have any money you want to invest, Thomas here is your man. _Geez, why did I say that_, she thought.

"Oh, Mr. Barrows and I have already met. Your father introduced us before you arrived," Anthony said smiling that crooked smile that Edith had seen earlier in the day.

"Have you now," Edith said looking at Thomas and giving him what he called _'the evil eye._ Now she knew why he had been giving her that silly look ever since she got there. He knew that Dr. Anthony Strallan was the man from Nordstrom. Oh, it would be quite a while before he heard the end of this.

The three of them were standing there talking when Thomas leaned in and said, "Look-out, here comes your boyfriend."

Turning her head and following Thomas' eyes, she suddenly linked her arm through Anthony's, moved herself closer to him, almost as if she was in a panic and said in a not to lady-like tone, "Oh Crap!"

Anthony didn't know what was happening. She not only had her arm through his but she had somehow moved herself slightly behind him, as if she expected him to be a barrier of sorts.

"E. . . . . . .die." She heard her name drawn out on the lips of Dr. Larry Grey. She wished she had a drink to fortify her against the man she thought was the biggest creep in San Francisco.

"Larry, how many times have I told you not to call me by that name. Only my personal friends and family call me that and you are neither," she said, her eyes boring through him and her voice low.

"What are you talking about," he continued. "Our families have been friend for years."

Unaware that she was squeezing Anthony's arm, she continued. "Maybe our parents are, but not us. As I have told you numerous times, you and I have nothing in common."

"Oh, Edie you are so funny, always making with the jokes." Looking at Anthony, Grey continued "So, are you going to introduce me to your new friend?"

"Of course," Edith said obviously perturbed . " Dr. Anthony Strallan, may I introduce Dr. Larry Grey. Dr. Strallan is the new head of pediatrics, Dr. Grey is a dermatologist." Anthony didn't miss the inflection in her voice when she said dermatologist; she might as well have been saying, exterminator.

The two men shook hands and Edith said, "And of course you know my friend Thomas Barrows."

"Barrows," Grey said inclining his head toward Thomas but not offering his hand.

"By the way, why are you here? You are not on staff at the hospital if memory serves," she said sarcastically.

"Well it never hurts one professionally to come to one of your father's gatherings. It's a wonderful way to make new contacts," he continued. "Actually, while I'm here I thought we could go through the buffet line together," he said not letting up.

Now more angry than perturbed she said in a voice dripping with ice, "Oh, I'm so sorry Larry. Dr. Strallan and I are eating together. Have a good-evening and good luck on making new contacts," Edith said as she increased the pressure on Anthony arm, turned him around and headed out into the crowd, with Thomas close on her heels and leaving Dr. Larry Grey in her wake with a non-to happy expression on his face.

"I'm sorry you had to witness that, Dr. Strallan." She said as she maneuvered him toward a mini bar and a group of people. "Let's mingle, shall we?"

Edith did know almost everyone there. She not only introduced Anthony to doctors on other services that could possibly have a connection with pediatrics, she also found out that he enjoyed golf so made it a point to introduce him to doctors who also played the game and belonged to some of the local country clubs in the area. She was pleased with herself when three of them asked for Anthony's card in order to call him and set up a date for a round. She knew from experience that indeed they would call him and he would probably be out on the links the following week.

As Anthony continued to talk, Thomas pulled her away from the group and said,

"I have to leave Punk. I am catching the red eye to New York. Big business meeting tomorrow."

"When will you be back," she asked. Edith didn't like it when Thomas was away. He was her one true friend and she always felt lonely and vulnerable when he was gone. He gave her a sense of security, something she didn't get from her family.

"I'll be back on Friday. Keep the evening clear and I will take you over to 'Joes' for dinner, O.K?" he said as he gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"It's a date," she said hugging him. "Please travel safe."

She smiled and waved as he disappeared into the crowd. Turning back to the group, she noticed that Anthony was looking at her.

"Well, are you ready to move on?" she said as she again reached to take his arm, but this time she didn't catch him off guard. He put his elbow out so she could put her hand through it.

They continued moving through the crowd and as the evening wore on Edith felt certain that she had introduced him to most of the people that mattered. She not only introduced him to other doctors but to some of the board members and their wives as well. The women were enamored with his accent and asked him many questions about life in the UK, and their husbands seemed to be particularly interested in socialized medicine. She noticed that he replied to each question with sincerity and a certain sophisticated charm; traits that most American men lacked.

Disengaging him from the latest crowd, she leaned up on her toes and said,

"I don't know about you, Dr. Strallan, but I'm famished. How about if we get something to eat. I only had a salad for lunch," she remarked as she moved him in the direction of the buffet line.

"Ah. . . . . yes. . . . .your lunch. Was it any good?" he questioned with a twinkle in his eye; something that didn't go unnoticed by Edith.

"A little soggy, but yes, the salads at Nordstrom are always very good, especially if you can eat them right away," she countered.

The buffet line was always set up so people could go down both sides at once, thus ensuring that the line moved quickly. Edith handed Anthony a plate and picked up two linen napkins that had the silverware wrapped up in them and put them in the pocket of Anthony's suit coat.

"I'm sorry. . . . ah. . . . .I don't. . . . . ." he said confused as he looked at her and then down at his pocket.

"It's O.K. everyone does it. The silverware is too big to carry alongside the plate; makes it awkward to balance the plate while putting food on it. Your pocket just makes it easier. You don't mind do you?" But looking at the confused expression on his face she said, " Oh, you do mind, I'm sorry," and she reached over to take them out of his pocket.

"No. . . . .uh . . . . . .It's fine," he said putting his hand over his pocket. If I am going to live in California then I have to get used to the American way of doing things, he laughed. "I don't mind carrying your silverware at all."

She smiled and grabbed another plate and started down the opposite side of the table. She felt herself blushing somewhat because every time she looked up to make sure he was trying some of the local cuisine, she found he was looking at her. When they reached the end of the line, she encouraged him to try the fresh wild Pacific salmon instead of the old same old fare, Prime Rib, turkey or ham. She informed him that there was nothing better than fresh salmon. Wild Pacific Ocean salmon when eaten fresh had a wonderful buttery taste. Most salmon was farm raised so the chance to eat a wild one was a treat.

Her father's table was about three away from the buffet and her father, mother, and her sisters Mary and Sybil were sitting there eating. Sybil had brought along her new boyfriend, Tom Branson, a young man who owned his own car dealership in San Jose. Mary was dateless as her boyfriend Matthew Crawley, a third cousin a few times removed, had to work that evening. Once they were seated and her father did the introductions, Mary took over the entertaining of Dr. Anthony Strallan. Edith had done all the leg work, getting him introduced and making sure he had something to eat, and now Mary would have all the fun, flirting and giving him her undivided attention.

Edith ate her dinner as quickly as she could . She was tired and without Thomas there, she felt like a social fifth wheel. She could hardly get a word in edgewise. Anthony Strallan was laughing and being charming to all the Crawley women, except her. Well what did she expect? She had embarrassed him earlier in the day, why would he want to pay any attention to her. She had done her job tonight, introduced him around and that was that. Besides, Mary always knew how to intimidate her. She hated herself for succumbing to that age old feeling of inferiority. Mary's beauty always won out. The only man who had never given Mary a tumble was Graham. But Mary would never have been interested in him anyway because Graham wasn't handsome, but Dr. Anthony Strallan was. He was mesmerized by Mary and her coy maneuvers_. Typical man_ she thought to herself.

Toying with her food, she noticed that many of the tables were beginning to empty. Now was an excellent time to leave this cozy little family gathering, call William, and then go to the lounge and get a drink and wait for him. Excusing herself from her family, she turned to Anthony and said,

"Good Night Dr. Strallan, It was a pleasure to meet you. I wish you every success at CHSU," and with that she left. Anthony was somewhat taken aback. Her sister Mary had monopolized him during dinner but he had hoped to talk to Edith; find out more about her. He remembered that Robert had said that she volunteered at the hospital so maybe he would see her there. But where at the hospital she volunteered he hadn't a clue. He waited about five and then said his pleasantries and bade the Crawley family good night as well.

He retrieved his coat from the cloak room and was heading toward the main entrance when he happened to glance into the lounge and saw Edith sitting at the bar. The physician he had met earlier, Dr. Grey he thought his name was, was standing over her in what Anthony thought to be rather menacing position.

He didn't know why he stopped at the entrance of the lounge and watched her. Something inside him was stirring and over riding his common sense. He wasn't the type of man to barge into a situation that was none of his business. And he definitely wasn't the type to walk into a bar and pick-up a woman.

Later that evening when he was alone at home he would ask himself why in God's name he entered the lounge and casually walked up to Edith Crawley and in front of Dr. Larry Grey said, "Edith, I am sorry I took so long to get here. Have you already ordered?" But he knew the answer. He wanted to see her again.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

_**AN: This chapter is long because I wanted A & E to have a chance to get to know each other away from the cocktail party. **_

* * *

Edith left the ballroom and headed for the lounge. She needed a drink, no doubt about it. She had felt somewhat sorry for Anthony Strallan earlier in the day. She had embarrassed him and she never did things like that; at least she couldn't remember ever putting someone on the spot like she did him. Of course she had no idea that he was the infamous pediatrician that her father had hired, but ever since the incident at Nordstrom somehow she couldn't seem to get him out of her mind. And then, here he was one of the guests of honor at the cocktail party. She had hoped for a chance to explain what had happened earlier, but he was so amiable and nice to everyone she never got the chance. And then leave it to Mary to monopolized him at dinner. After everything that had happened today, the Nordstrom embarrassment, finding out who she really was, and then the Larry Grey incident, he must think her some kind of a nut.

She had just taken a seat at the bar when Larry Grey approached her – again. If someone were to ask her why she didn't like him, in reality she would be hard pressed for an answer. She just didn't like him, she never had and she was certain that she never would. Her family would have been thrilled beyond words if somehow the two of them could have hooked up, but as Edith had explained to her mother and father more than once, Larry Grey was not the man for her, he made her skin crawl and to please not keep mentioning him to her.

Sliding between her and the next bar stool, she found herself caught between the bar and him. Eyeing her up and down he said, "I didn't appreciate the way you treated me earlier. There was no call for you to be so rude in front of your new doctor friend. "

Edith was surprised. She had not expected to see him again, and was astonished at what he was saying. Her glibness from earlier in the evening left her. She was at a loss for words and somewhat frightened now. Larry Grey was mad.

"I'm not a bad person, Edith. I don't know how or why you ever got that impression of me. You seem to think of me as some stupid fool. Well I'm not. I have a lucrative practice and whether you believe it or not, I do have a large circle of friends."

"Look, Larry," Edith started to say, but Grey cut her off.

"No, you look. For the last couple of years whenever I have seen you at any social function, you have given me the cold shoulder, made sarcastic remarks to me and treated me as if I had the plague. I can't remember ever doing or saying anything to you personally to warrant the way you act toward me. People heard what you said to me earlier, and it was embarrassing to explain to them that we were just kidding with each other. I came to the function tonight because I wanted to talk to you about your Foundation. I have left numerous messages for you, but you have never returned any of my calls. One of my patients, because of tax reasons, needs to rid himself of some money. I immediately thought about you and the Foundation and was hoping that over dinner we could have set up a meeting with him."

Edith was blushing furiously and suddenly felt small. She had never thought that Larry Grey would have had a legitimate reason for crashing her father's function, she just thought he was crass enough to do it because he could. And never in her wildest dreams did she think he would do anything as magnanimous as to steer an investor her way.

"Ever since that business with Glassheen, you have changed, "he continued on. " You used to be happy, but all I see when I look at you now is someone cold and hard. Maybe that's what Glassheen saw too, a woman incapable of kindness, love or affection. Maybe that is the reason it was so easy for Sylvia to take him away from you. Pity the next man who takes an interest in you. I'm afraid that you Edith are a project that will never see completion. Oh, and don't worry about me ever approaching you again. I wouldn't want to cause you any further embarrassment by having to acknowledge that you know me."

Backing away from her, he saw the tall blond doctor he had met earlier in the evening walking toward them and heard Strallan say, "Edith, I'm sorry I'm late. Have you ordered yet?"

Turning back to Edith, Grey said, "Good-by Edith" and nodding to Strallan, walked out of the lounge.

Edith's eyes followed him, swimming in tears. No one had ever talked to her like. She could feel her face burning and felt the tears crash over her lower eye lid and down her cheeks.

Anthony saw the tears slide down her face. He had always been awkward around women, and especially when they cried. He was never sure what to say to make them feel better. So instead of saying anything he took his handkerchief out of his pocket and handed it to her without saying a word and waited.

Dabbing at her face but not having much success at stopping the tears, he finally said, "Well, I could use a nightcap, how about you?"

Nodding she said, "Yes, that would be nice, I could use a drink," and continued to wipe the tears that somehow wouldn't stop. Larry Grey's venomous words had hit their mark. The business with Gus Glassheen was terrible and even now two years later, it still humiliated her. And having that worm Larry Grey bring it to her attention again only made it worse. Dapping her eyes dry, she accidently put Anthony's handkerchief in her evening bag.

Turning to the bartender she said in a small voice through her tears, "George, I'll have Patrone on the rocks with a twist of lime."

Anthony followed with, "I'll have a double scotch on the rocks."

Taking a huge sniff she said, "George, don't give him the bar scotch, give him the good stuff back on the shelf, " she said as she continued to sniff and wipe away the next tear with the small napkin that George had just placed on the bar.

"Certainly, Miss. Crawley," the bartender answered as he moved toward the bottles on the back wall.

Anthony was looking at her slightly confused. Pulling herself together and smiling at him she said, "Most bars and lounges put the cheap liquor in the dispensers. They realize that the majority of people don't notice or care, but if you are going to have a nightcap, your last drink of the day, then you should drink the good stuff; something you like, don't you think so?" she said as she used the napkin in front of Anthony to blow her nose.

"I think you are absolutely right." He answered.

She seemed to pull herself together by the time their drinks and new napkins were put in front of them. Picking up her glass she touched it to Anthony's and said, "Here's to the end , _thank God_, she thought, of a very unusual day." "And to the many days to come," he added.

Edith hadn't had Patrone in a while and had forgotten how smooth the Tequila was. It warmed her as it slowly made its way down her throat. Finishing it she looked at him over her glass.

"I'm sorry you had to witness another one of my confrontations. It seems that I am just full of them today.

Not answering right away Anthony noticed that she had finished her drink.

"How about another," he asked and Edith just nodded.

"Another Patrone if you please George, and make it a double this time, Anthony said not taking his eyes off Edith.

Anthony hadn't sat down on the bar stool but was standing in somewhat the same position as Larry Grey, close enough to smell her perfume and have her knees accidently leaning against his.

"About this afternoon," Edith started to say.

"No harm done," Anthony replied. "My sister is going to get a very nice handbag thanks to you."

"I know, but I wanted to explain," she continued. "I did it on a dare to earn money for my Foundation. I was left a large amount of money a few years ago and through investing with Thomas, I managed to start a Foundation that helps people. We don't do Cancer research or Save the Children in starving countries, nothing as grand as that; we just help people get a leg up. Thomas told me that if I could get you to the counter and you purchased a handbag, he would give me $1000.00. We call it the money game and have played it in one way or another for a long time, ever since I was in college. Knowing me for as long as he has, he knows that I can never resist a dare. In fact in a few weeks I am going to sing Karoke and try and win another $1000.00.

" _Why do I keep saying these stupid things_, she thought again_. It's as if my mouth is in overdrive and my brain is dead._

Looking at the bemused look on Anthony's face she said, "Good God, I don't know why I said all that. You must think me the dumbest women you have ever met or the drunkest."

"Did you get the money?" he laughed as he took another sip of his drink.

"Well, as a matter of fact, I earned $1500.00. He felt I earned the extra $500.00 because I had to go back and set things straight. I did set things straight, didn't I?"

"Oh yes. Not to worry. Nobody lost their job today," and he was smiling that somewhat crooked smile.

A silence started to build between them when Edith finally said,

"So, why did you take this job at CHSU?"

"Well I felt it was time for a change. There didn't seem to be many new challenges left in England for me. You see I am divorced and coming here seemed like a good idea, starting over in many ways."

"Um. . . . . . do you have any children?"

"Uh. . . . . .unfortunately no,. . . .. . . . my wife. . . . . . I mean my ex-wife, wasn't interested in having a family," and Edith heard the sorrow in his voice.

Later Edith would think about what she said next. She didn't know whether it was because she was tired, the anxiety of the day, or the Patrone starting to work on her somewhat empty stomach and brain, but looking at him she said,

"How sad for her, not wanting to have children with the man she loved."

She could have cut out her tongue. The moment she said it she noticed the look on Anthony's face; it was suddenly full of pain. She didn't even know this man, but she had somehow dredged up something awful in his past and now it was hovering there between them.

Nodding to George to refill his drink, Anthony turned to Edith and said,

"Well, it took me a while to figure it out, years in fact, but the truth is my wife didn't love me, at least not enough to have children with me. But for a number of years she did like my money and position and being referred to as Lady Strallan." There he had said it, put his truth into words. "She divorced me for another man. When this opportunity to work with your father came up, I thought it was perfect timing to leave England and start anew.

Edith was shocked. Why this cultured, reserved man would tell her something like that she would never know. But there had been plenty of alcohol flowing that night, and alcohol had a way of loosening many a tongue.

"Why don't you sit down Dr. Strallan," and she motioned to the bar stool right behind him.

"Only if you will call me Anthony," he smiled.

Edith repeated his name, but used the American pronunciation.

"No, Anthony," he repeated again.

"Anthony," and this time Edith pronounced it correctly. "And you must call me Edith," she said as she put out her hand and shook his for the second time that evening," again, how do you do."

"I heard your friend Mr. Barrows refer to Dr. Grey as your boyfriend. I hope I didn't scare him away or interrupt anything serious."

"No, Thomas was just being silly. Larry was mad at the way I talked to him earlier. He gave me a dressing down, to use your expression. You did me a huge service by showing up when you did. He said some horrible things to me, things I hadn't thought about before, and he felt he needed to bring them to my attention," she said not looking at him, her face red again from embarrassment.

Taking the last sip of her drink, she put her glass down on the bar and said,

"Well, it's getting late and I have to call my driver to come and pick me up," she said as she began to open her bag and take out her cell.

"Why don't you let me take you home. It's the least I can do to thank you for all your help tonight," he said as he too finished his drink and put the glass on the bar.

"Thank you but I don't think so. I wouldn't want to inconvenience you." Edith countered.

"Well let's just say that by letting me take you home, it's your way to make it up to me for the incident at the department store," he persisted.

Edith looked at him long and hard. "Why is it I think that we could sit here all night and you wouldn't take no for an answer," she replied as she snapped her bag shut.

"And you would be absolutely correct. Where do you live, " he asked.

"In Lower Pacific Heights. Do you know where that is?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact I do. I live in the area as well."

"Really, you live in Lower Pacific Heights, where exactly?"

"In The Devon,"

"The Devon," and Edith felt as if she had screamed the word. "Wow, I'm impressed. The Devon used to be one of the premier apartment buildings in the city. They converted them to condominiums, and you bought one. Well, I hope you got one of the units with the beautiful palladium windows."

"I did. It's on the sixth floor. I have a lovely view of the city and I understand it is one of the few units with a balcony," he said and he hoped that his ego wasn't showing too much. If she knew The Devon, then she knew that the units were very expensive.

"Well, let's go, "she said as she slid off the bar stool and put her hand on Anthony's shoulder to steady her.

"You know you shouldn't wear shoes like that, with a heel that high," he managed to say as she regained her balance.

"Why not?"

"They throw your hips and back out of alignment. If you persist in wearing them, later on you will have trouble with your lower back, not to mention your feet."

"I thought you were a pediatrician?" she asked somewhat amused as they headed toward the lobby.

" I am, but I am also an orthopedic surgeon," and he smiled that crooked smile again as he took her arm.

"A double whammy, huh." She said as she stood there shifting from foot to foot. She hated it when people pointed out things to her that proved to be true. Her feet were hurting and as soon as she got in his car she would take off her shoes.

Standing next to him as they waited for the car to be brought around, Edith felt somewhat nervous and awkward. _What is the matter with me_, she thought. _He isn't the first man I have ever had a drink with._ But she truly liked him and that frightened her. She would definitely have to get a grip on herself.

When she saw his car, she silently laughed and shook her head. She must be jaded because hardly anything surprised her anymore. Of course he would drive an English car; and a Jaguar at that.

He opened her door and helped her in and then went around to the driver's side, tipped the valet and climbed in next to Edith.

Starting the car and waiting for the GPS to flash on he said," What is your address?"

"1320 Broderick Street", she said not taking her eyes off him.

He punched in her address , waited for the directions to start then slowly drove out of the hotel's parking lot.

"You know I could give you quicker directions to my house, "she said.

"Probably, but I like using this GPS thing. I never had one before; never needed one back in London."

The GPS may have been a gadget that Anthony liked, but not Edith. Getting to her house from the hotel, the GPS voice had Anthony driving and turning all over the place. About twenty minutes later, just as they pulled up in front of Edith's house, she put her hand on his arm and said,

"Stop the car now, please."

Opening the door as he was slowly pulling to a stop, she managed to get her head out just in time to throw up. The drinks before dinner, no dinner, the nightcaps and the winding route home were playing havoc with her stomach.

"I'm. . . . . . .so . . . . . .sor . . . . . . ".she tried to say but another wave of nausea washed over her.

Anthony was out of the car in a flash. Unhooking her seatbelt, he gently eased her to her feet.

"My shoes," she croaked stumbling over to her steps as Anthony got her shoes out of the car. He also brought some tissue from his glove compartment and started to wipe her face and mouth.

The cool night air felt so good on her face. _Holy mother of God, what must he think of me?_ her fuzzy brain thought.

He suddenly heard two people behind him on the porch of the house. Elsie and Charles Carson in their bathrobes were coming down the steps. They had heard the car and voices and came to check on just who would be outside at this hour.

"Good God, what happened?" Elsie said as she put her arm around Edith and gently started to lead her up the stairs.

Anthony was at a complete loss for words. He handed her shoes to Charles and said,

"Give her some ginger ale or tea. She had too much to drink and not enough to eat tonight. Trust me when I say she will have an awful headache in the morning. Please, take care of her."

And with that he walked back to his car, shut the door and drove away.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

_A/N: This chapter is also longer than I intended because I wanted to explore Anthony's heritage. After re-reading __**The New Heir**__, by Baron M., I used some of his information to further explain about the current Anthony and his family. (Hope I got this right Baron). Anyway, this chapter sets the stage for Anthony to work on the Edith project._

* * *

The morning after the night before was awful. Edith's head felt as if it were full of helium. Her eyes hurt when she blinked, and her hair hurt when she ran her fingers through it. She couldn't remember ever being hung over like this, but maybe that was because she had never been hung over. In reality, Edith didn't drink much, but she had last night and was obviously paying the price this morning.

She moaned to herself as she got out of bed and stumbled toward the kitchen. When she turned the water on to fill her coffee maker, it echoed in her head like Niagara Falls. Flipping the switch on the machine, she padded over to the table, sat down and stretched her arms out in front of her while laying her head on the cool wood top and moaning. She gently opened the venetian blind next to the table but let out a groan as the morning light filtered in. Pulling the cord she shut it again and sank back into the chair.

What must Anthony Strallan think of her? Thank God she hadn't thrown up in his car, she had managed to get her head out in time, but still she was mortified. He had saved her from further humiliation by Larry Grey and for that reason alone she liked him. But, more than that he had a pleasant personality and he was easy to talk to. He was also a man who could hold his liquor. They both had had at least three cocktails as she maneuvered him around the function. Yet, he finished the evening with two double scotches and still was able to drive her home. She on the other hand was a crying, red headed drunk. Well, maybe if he was lucky he would never see her again. Yes, she decided she would try to avoid him at all costs when she was at the hospital. The embarrassment of seeing him again was more than she felt she could handle.

Edith was one of the best volunteers at the CHSU. When she first started there, she went wherever the volunteer coordinator sent her. But when she was assigned to pediatrics she had found her niche. The young patients loved her. On Tuesdays she initiated the weekly Bingo game and made sure that every child who wanted to play had a chance, even those that were critically ill. On Thursdays she visited the rooms of the children who had had surgery or treatments. She brought books, puzzles, games and even a few I-pads for them to use that she had purchased with her own money. And once in a while she would haul out the Karaoke machine and she and the children who were able would sing and entertain the others. But Halloween was the best time. She made sure everyone had masks and worked it out with the cafeteria that healthy treats would be there to pass out. Halloween was for children and she wanted to make sure that these sick children were not left out of the fun.

Now, as she sat in her kitchen drinking coffee, she realized that she could never volunteer in pediatrics again. What if she ran into Anthony Strallan. She figured with their history he wouldn't want her on his service and he probably wouldn't approve of her unique way of volunteering. Well she would tell Mrs. Lewis, the volunteer coordinator that she wanted to be assigned somewhere else in the hospital, even if it meant in the cafeteria, busing dishes.

But, as her fuzzy brain slowly came to life she knew that she wanted to see him again, wanted to see those blue eyes and that crooked smile. _Oh, Lord_ she thought, _what am I going to do?_

* * *

Anthony Strallan woke early the next morning. He hadn't slept very well at all; his concern for Edith had kept him tossing and turning most of the night. He had wanted to follow her into her house, to make sure she was alright, but her friends seemed to have everything under control so he just left. He didn't have her phone number or he would have called her this morning to find out how she was feeling. He didn't think he could call the hospital and ask for it; he was new there and trying to explain why he might want her number would be complicated. No, he would find out somehow on Monday what days she volunteered and where. He'd put Mazie on it. If anyone could get the information he wanted, it was her. Of course he would have to be casual and come up with some far- fetched reason for wanting to know, but he was an intelligent grown man, not some immature schoolboy. This should be a simple enough task.

He spent the rest of the day unpacking the rest of his books and pictures. The previous owners of his flat had gone to great lengths to create a lovely library off the main sitting area. It was just his style; dark wood floors and dark bookshelves. The sofa and two chairs that he had purchased along with the lovely rug, made the room cozy and comfortable. Light streamed through the large palladium window giving the room a warm glow. Dusting his books he started putting them on the shelves. They were scattered all over the room because he always put his books in an orderly fashion. Alphabetical by subject matter, and then within each subject, alphabetical by author. He knew it would take him a while to get them the way he wanted . Knowing his personality he most likely would move them around many times before he was satisfied.

Since his days at the hospital would be long, he figured that he would have to tackle the books and pictures as soon as he could. There was one box on the floor marked family photographs that he hadn't opened yet. Taking the box cutter he sliced through the packing tape and started to unwrap each photo along with the family photo albums. He would scatter the framed pictures around the flat and put the albums on a separate shelf in his library. The pictures meant a lot to him; they were his family, his history. There were many pictures of him as a young boy with his parents , his brother Mark and sister Margaret. There were pictures of him at boarding school and university and one of his favorites was the one with his family who had come over when he graduated from Harvard Medical School. And there were pictures of people who had gone before. Unwrapping one of the four albums he flipped through the pages smiling. One picture caught his attention. It was a picture of his great- grandfather and great- grandmother taken sometime shortly after their marriage in 1922. Below the picture written in white ink on the black paper was the inscription _Edith and Anthony Strallan on their honeymoon - 1922. _

He sat back in the chair and looked at this page. Looking out at him was his great-grandfather, Anthony Strallan from whom the family said he got his blond hair and blue eyes. But his eyes lingered on the picture of his great-grandmother. He knew enough about genetics, DNA and recessive genes to know that certain traits and likenesses could skip one, two, three generations, sometimes even more. He was amazed and very curious. Over ninety years separated the picture of Lady Edith Strallan and the woman who in a very short period of time had managed to worm her way into his life and thoughts. Oh the hair was different and the smile a little smaller, but the likeness was uncanny. Staring back at him from his family album was the current Edith Crawley. _How can this_ _be,_ he thought to himself. _Who are these California Crawleys? _

He knew from family history that the Earldom of Grantham had once belonged to the Crawley family, but had passed to the Strallans when there were no longer any male heirs related to the Crawleys. In the 19th century, a Crawley daughter had married a Strallan and had produced two sons and two daughters. Because of that marriage the Earldom had eventually passed to the first son of Edith and Anthony Strallan, upon the death of her father the 5th Earl, Robert Crawley, sometime in the 1940's. Edith was the first daughter of Robert Crawley to have a son, thus he became the heir. Anthony knew that four children were born to his great-grandparents, Jonathan the oldest, Thomas, the middle son, and then his grandfather Robert and his twin sister Elizabeth. All in all his great-grandparents hadn't wasted any time. Four children in 5 years. He smiled when he thought about that. The rumor in the family was that they couldn't keep their hands off each other; propagated like rabbits. Thus, Jonathan inherited the title and the main estate, Downton Abbey. The original Strallan estate Locksley, where all of the Strallan children were raised, went to Thomas, great-grandfather's second son.

But great-grandfather Anthony had been far ahead of his time and had been interested in mechanization long before it became popular in farming. Because of his interest, he started a small manufacturing company in York to produce tractors, harvesters, reapers and the accessories and parts that were needed for them. He wanted to make sure his youngest son Robert had an inheritance too. So when Anthony's grandfather went to university he studied accounting, business and law with the knowledge that he would run the Strallan Company. Because of great-grandfather Anthony's vision, each of his sons had an inheritance, thus making all the descendants of the original Anthony and Edith very wealthy. Locksley, eventually merged with Grantham upon the death of Robert's brother, Thomas. Thomas had never married and Jonathan and Robert didn't want to lose that part of their legacy. Their personal fortunes paid the estate taxes when Thomas died, thus ensuring that the legacy would continue. Lawrence, Jonathan's son was now the current Earl of Grantham and Anthony's father Henry and his brother Mark were the current CEO and CFO of Strallan Industries, which had diversified far beyond farm equipment. Yes, the Crawleys and the Strallans were old titled English families and because of their linage, all the Strallan men carried the title 'Sir' and their wives and sisters 'Lady'.

So now his interest and curiosity was peeked. Given enough time, he was going to find out everything he could about this American branch of the Crawley family. And as he sat there looking at that picture of Anthony and Edith Strallan circa 1923, he smiled to himself knowing that the means to that end would be none other than the current Edith Crawley herself.

* * *

_Sorry about the length. I wanted this 'family' connection, and also wanted to set it up in such a way that the current Anthony, like his great-grandmother goes after the person he wants. Edith chased Anthony in 1920 - Anthony will give the current Edith a run for her money as well._


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Two weeks went by and before anyone knew it, the middle of October had arrived. Edith had managed to make herself useful in other areas of the hospital. While she missed pediatrics, she felt it was for the best that she didn't run into Anthony Strallan for a while. She parked her car in the employee parking lot which was located at the back of the building. Doctors, patients and visitor parking slots were in the front, so the chance of running into him while parking her car was slight. One day she was sitting in the corner of the cafeteria and caught a glimpse of him walking in with a woman she could only imagine was another doctor. They were laughing and so lost in conversation that it caused something deep inside her to stir; was it jealousy? _No!_ she thought_, it couldn't be – or could it?_

* * *

Anthony had been on the job for two weeks. He was so busy that he had forgotten to ask Mazie to find out about Edith. Robert Crawley's trust in him was not unfounded. He more than proved his worth. He made it a point to know every patient, know their parents or guardians and familiarize himself with the reason why they were at CHSU. He visited each child every day during his morning or evening rounds. And because of his kind demeanor, he became a favorite of the nurses and young female interns assigned to him.

He thought about Edith often, usually late at night when he was trying to read a journal, or in bed as he tossed and turned trying to get comfortable. When he closed his eyes, somehow she appeared, but when the next day came, he was so caught up in his routine that he thought about nothing other than the patients.

It was a Thursday and he was sitting in his office going over reports when Mazie barged in. They were getting along much better than Anthony had expected, probably because after their first encounter he figured he would do things her way as far as the office was concerned. And because it ran like a well-oiled machine, he was able to spend more time with patients and their families.

Another reason he and Mazie were getting along so well was because she always had some little treat for him each day, usually something for him to nibble on in the morning. Maybe it was because he lived alone that Mazie had decided that his eating habits were probably terrible and it was her duty to keep him healthy. He would always find a homemade muffin, bagel, coffee cake, or maybe a piece of quiche waiting for him when he entered his office each day. But not today! Standing in front of his desk with her hands on her hips, she said in a voice full of attitude,

"What have you done to Edith Crawley? She hasn't been here for two weeks. I went down to the volunteer office to ask where she was and they told me she had asked to be assigned to another floor. "

Anthony was completely taken off guard and said in a somewhat hesitant voice, "I'm confused. I don't know what you mean. "

"Edith Crawley is the number one volunteer on this floor. She keeps the children entertained like no one else does. She makes the little sick ones forget that they are in a hospital. One week she was here, the next week she is gone," she said as she shifted from one foot to the other.

Mazie could tell by the expression on Anthony's face that she had caught him off guard, but something was amiss and she was going to find out what it was.

"The word through the grapevine is that the two of you spent most of the evening together at her father's cocktail party. Did you say something to her to make her not want to volunteer up here anymore," she continued her eyes boring through him.

"No, I did not," and now he was getting agitated. She hadn't even given him time to take off his coat or put his briefcase down .

"In fact, I knew she volunteered here at the hospital, her father told me so, but I had no idea where. And just so you know, I had quite an enjoyable evening. She spent almost all of her time introducing me around and we had dinner and a nightcap together. As a matter of fact, I even drove her home, so there," he didn't feel that he needed to go into detail about Edith getting sick .

"You didn't get fresh, did you?" she asked in the kind of voice that a nosey mother would use to a son after a first date.

"Absoutely not!" he huffed back at her. "Is the gossip mill saying she won't volunteer up here because of me?" and now he was concerned. He didn't want his private life to be fodder for the gossip mill.

"Not exactly, but they are speculating about why she isn't here anymore," she continued. " Really doctor, she does brighten up the children's day. You would be doing them a huge favor if you could get her back up here and I would hope soon," she finished with a curt nod of her head.

With that Mazie left his office. Anthony sat thinking long and hard about what she had said. Well, he couldn't take care of it now, he had rounds and two reports that had to be finished today, but a plan was starting to take shape. Later in the afternoon when he got back to his office, he logged onto the Internet and typed in _Florists in Lower_ _Pacific Heights_.' Three popped up and he studied the information about each one. He ended up choosing the one that was closest to his flat. Calling them up he told them what he wanted but asked them not to do anything until he came in the next morning. Finishing the call, he smiled to himself. He should have done this the day after the car incident, but two weeks late wasn't too late he hoped. Besides, maybe this would give him a leg up and get his foot in the door on Broderick St.

* * *

Edith didn't go into the Foundation on Friday. Her routine had changed and she was tired. She dusted and vacuumed her house and baked a cake in the afternoon. Thomas was taking her to dinner at her their favorite fish house, _Joe and Louie's Oyster Bar_, a hole in the wall down on the wharf. As a Foundation board member, he mentioned he needed to talk to her about some pending expenditures.

She had finished her chores and was heading to her bedroom to get ready for dinner when the doorbell rang. She knew it wasn't Thomas because he had told her that he would pick her up at six and it was only four. She knew it wasn't Charles or Elsie because they always knocked and came in through the back door.

Opening the peep hole in the front door she saw a van parked outside that said Mandy Scott . Mandy Scott was one of the most exclusive florists in San Francisco. She had been voted '_best florist'_ for eight years running, and Edith had done a whispers column about her. Scott's company mainly did society weddings and big splashy events. Edith had once hired them to do the flowers for her wedding to Graham; something that seemed like a lifetime ago. Why they would be coming to her house now was a mystery. Opening the door a pleasant young man said, "Are you Miss. Edith Crawley?"

Nodding, Edith said, "Yes I am," and with that the young man handed her a white box with one of the most beautiful bouquets she had ever seen.

"Be careful with that Miss." he said. "The bowl that the flowers are in is an antique, so we were told by the gentleman who brought it in to us."

Edith put the box down on the table in the hall and then went to get some money to tip the delivery boy.

"Did you see who ordered this?" Edith asked as she handed him five dollars.

"No, Miss, I just deliver," he answered, thanking her for the tip and left.

Edith closed the door and gently picked up the box and went to the kitchen where she set it on the table. Carefully taking the bouquet out of the box, she gasped. The bowl was beautiful. It was a pale blue glass and sat on three white legs. She could tell by looking at it that it was old and probably valuable. But the flowers; they took her breath away. Pink roses, pale pink carnations, white Asian lilies, pink geranimums , and tucked among the other flowers were stephanotis and gardenias. It smelled devine. Searching through the flowers she came upon the card and written in a very precise hand it said,

_Please consider coming back to pediatrics. You have been missed._

_Anthony Strallan_

She sat and looked at the flowers and card for a long time. Anthony Strallan had put a lot of thought into this bouquet, even going so far as to put it into a bowl that he owned. Why would he do such a thing? And was she reading more into the phrase _you have been missed_ than she should have?

Going into her office she pulled out a note card that had her name embossed on the front. Opening it she wrote,

_Dear Dr. Strallan,_

But that was all she was able to write. Everything she wanted to say sounded so dumb; she couldn't get the right words to come out. Finally, she ripped it up and threw it into the wastebasket. She would sit down tomorrow morning and compose a correct, thoughtful response. But as she headed back through the kitchen toward her bedroom, she sat down at the table and looked at the bouquet again. It was beautiful, and her eyes started to fill with tears. It was the first bouquet of flowers she had ever received from a man. An American man would probably never think of doing anything special like this, but Anthony Strallan wasn't an American man; and that made her smile. Resting her face in her hands she closed her eyes and thought about him. No doubt about it – she liked him more than very much.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Anthony Strallan was up, shaved, showered, dressed and ready to go by 6:30 Saturday morning. Today after his morning rounds he was going to go over to Edith Crawley's house and invite her out for the day. He knew that showing up on the spur of the moment wasn't the most polite thing to do, but in all the logistics of sending her the flowers, he had forgotten to ask Mazie to get her phone number. But the more he thought on that, the more he realized that the last thing he needed right now was Mazie knowing what he was doing.

He didn't have many casual clothes. Most of the time he wore suits or slacks with sports jackets. But he didn't want to look too stuffy today. While talking to the parents of the children in the hospital, he took note on how California men dressed. He noticed that most of them wore jeans or cotton slacks with casual shirts. Well he didn't have any jeans, but he did have a pair of dark brown cotton slacks. He paired them with a small blue checked cotton shirt and put a light beige shawled collared cashmere sweater over it. The forecast said no rain and the temperature was going to be in the low 60's, so he felt that wearing the sweater would be enough. As he finished brushing his hair he thought that the person staring back at him from his dresser mirror didn't look too bad for an old 48 year old man.

* * *

Edith was up early as well. She usually went for a ½ hour run each morning but today she wanted to go down to the flea market at the old Alameda Naval Air Station. But one thing she had to finish before she went was cleaning up her garden and getting her gardening tools put away for the winter. She, Charles and Elsie had spent most of the last week pulling the spent vegetables, deadheading the flowers, and trimming the shrubs. While the garden was small, the three of them had managed to make use of every available space. Two years ago Charles had espaiiered an apple tree and this year they had an abundant crop. Keeping them picked was a full time job, but she and Elsie had managed to freeze 15 quarts of applesauce – more than enough to get them through the winter.

So she threw on her old gardening jeans, an old tee shirt and flannel shirt that she used as a jacket when working in the yard and wrapped a scarf around her head . She made herself some oatmeal and ate it while preparing her dinner. She browned a roast and then put it in her slow cooker with a chopped up onion. When she got back later today, her dinner would be done and all she would have to do would be fix a vegetable and probably some smashed potatoes. Walking out onto her back porch she grabbed her gardening hat, pulled on her black rubber boots and headed down the back stairs toward her gardening shed.

* * *

Anthony looked at his watch as he pulled up in front of Edith's home; it said 9:30 am. He smiled to himself as he looked at the house. He hardly knew her but somehow this house looked like something she would live in. It was grey with white trim, with a small neatly trimmed lawn in front. The shrubs along the foundation were well groomed and the house seemed to nestle into the landscape.

Taking a deep breath he walked up the stairs to the front door and rang the bell. Getting no answer he rang it again, but still no answer. He noticed a car in her driveway and a gate at the back of the house which he imagined might lead to a back yard. Walking to the gate he opened it and smiled. He was standing in an English garden. The man and woman who he remembered had helped Edith on that Friday night noticed him as he walked into the yard.

"May I help you sir, Charles Carson said moving toward Anthony.

"Ah. . . .yes, I. . . . .ah was looking for Miss. Crawley. I rang her front doorbell but no one answered. I thought maybe she might be back here," Anthony replied trying to look as if it was perfectly natural for him to be there.

"Is she expecting you?" Charles asked and suddenly he recognized Anthony as the man who had brought Edith home.

"Uh. . . . . . . .no . . . . . . . I was just passing and thought I would stop," and even as Anthony spoke the words, he thought they sounded lame.

"Wait here a moment sir, and I will find her for you," Charles smiled and winked at Elsie as he turned and walked toward a small shed in the back corner of the yard.

Anthony heard Charles say, "Lady Edith, you have a visitor."

"What?. . . . . Who?" Anthony heard Edith say and then saw her walk out of the shed. Charles swept his arm in front of him and pointed it toward Anthony.

Edith was flabbergasted, not to mention embarrassed to have Anthony Strallan see her dressed like this.

Pulling her gloves off along with her hat and scarf she ran her hand through her curly hair as she walked toward him trying to think of something clever or witty to say, but all that came out was, "Dr. Strallan, what a surprise," and the only thought that was racing through her head was, _My God, he looks good._

"I was driving home from the hospital and thought that I might stop by and make sure that you received the flowers, and . . . . . . I. . . . . .uh . . . . . . was hoping that you might . . . . . .uh. . . . . .consider showing me around town today." There he said it. If she turned him down it wasn't because he hadn't tried.

Before she had a chance to answer she heard Charles clear his throat

"Oh, forgive me, Dr. Charles Carson, PhD and Mrs. Carson may I present Dr. Anthony Strallan, the new head of pediatrics at the hospital.

Charles put out his hand and said, "It is a pleasure to meet you sir. We didn't have much time the other night for introductions."

"No, I'm afraid we didn't. Too much going on," Anthony responded shaking both Charles and Elsie hands.

Edith just rolled her eyes. She knew 'the too much going on' referred to her.

"Well, Elsie and I have to get going. Saturday is shopping day for us," Charles said tilting his head and giving Edith a little wink. "Have a nice time today," and with that he and Elsie walked toward their part of the duplex.

Anthony wasn't going to let any grass grow under his feet so he looked at Edith and said, "So, how about it. Do you have time today to keep that promise you made to your father to show me around?"

_Why is it that somehow I just know that he won't take no for an answer_, she laughingly thought to herself.

"Well I was just going to go inside, clean up and then go down to the big flea market at The Alameda. Have you ever been to a flea market before? Believe me if you want to see the real San Francisco, that's the place to do it."

"I would like that very much," he said as he followed Edith up the back stairs, watched her take off her rubber boots, and then followed her into her kitchen.

The first thing that caught his eye was the bouquet in the center of her kitchen table. Noticing that he saw it she said,

"Thank you for such a beautiful bouquet and the card. I hope you don't mind that I have it here in the kitchen, but I wanted to put it someplace where I would see it. Believe it or not I spend a lot of time in here. I also want to say that the bowl it is in is so lovely. When the flowers are spent, I will make sure that you get it back."

"No, please, I would be honored if you would keep it. It is a family piece but I don't use that sort of thing and I thought that maybe it would get some use belonging to you."

Edith was suddenly flustered. This blue eyed handsome man made her knees go weak. _What's wrong_ _with me_, she thought, but then said,

"Well, if we are going to go to The Alameda I need to clean up. If you would like some coffee there are cups in the cupboard above the dishwasher and the coffee is still fresh. Also, feel free to wander around. I should be ready in about twenty minutes," she said as she went down the hall into her room and closed the door.

She never moved so fast in her life. Turning on the shower, she stripped down and jumped in and took, what was for her, the fastest shower on record. Toweling off the water she put on her favorite body lotion – gardenia, followed by the matching perfume. She flicked out her hair and pulled it back off her face with a headband. Then she put on jeans, a white shirt and her multi-colored 49er Pendleton jacket. She was going to put on her high heeled boots but suddenly smiled to herself and put on a pair of good walking shoes with a 1" heel. Looking at herself in the mirror she smiled. She looked pretty good for a 31 year old woman.

While waiting for Edith to clean up, Anthony did walk around her house. Her front living room was connected to her small, bright little library by a lovely arch. Two big over-stuffed club chairs faced each other in front of a small fireplace. Two of the walls had shelving for books. He noticed that she didn't have many books on her shelves, instead she had them stacked on tables with something decorative sitting on top. He noticed the family pictures and the little details that made this house a home_. Interesting_, he thought, _we have much the same taste._

"This is why I like to go to flea markets, Edith said as she entered the library. "I like to decorate with old books, but I do have a book buyer in Salt Lake City, of all places, who lets me know if he runs across any good ones that he thinks I should have for my library collection."

"Perhaps I could help you add to your collection. I have been collecting for quite a long time. I brought most of my library with me," Anthony said as he stooped down and looked at some of her titles.

Standing up straight he really looked at her long and hard. "That's quite a jacket," he said as he looked at her red, yellow, green, and blue plaid jacket.

"This is a vintage Pendleton. People tend to get lost at a huge flea market like The Alameda. If we get separated you will be able to spot me because of my jacket," and she widened her eyes and looked at him to make sure he was understanding what she was saying. She also lifted her foot out in front of her and pointed to her shoes. "As an orthopedic surgeon do you approve of these shoes? You should, they are Clarks. Anthony started to laugh and looking at her eyes instead of her feet said, " Yes, they are perfect."

That little exchange made Edith blush. Anthony Strallan was flirting with her.

"Well, times a wasting. If you need to use the restroom, there is one next to the kitchen. The only available facilities from now on are the portables down there," she said walking back into the hall and toward the kitchen.

Within five minutes they were out the door. As Anthony headed toward his car Edith stopped him and said,

"We can't go down to the market in your car. Someone will vandalize it for sure. Beautiful cars like yours are a beacon for mischief. We will go in Subaru Sally. Besides it has all my stuff in the back. Don't look so alarmed. You have to drive a car like this to flea markets and farmer's markets. You can't worry about your car getting a bump or a ding while you are shopping. Come on, this will be good for you to live on the wild side."

And with that Edith slid behind the wheel and Anthony curled his legs and body into the passenger seat. He was inwardly smiling to himself. He knew that this was going to be a good day, but little did he realize that it was going to change his lonely, stuffy life forever.

* * *

**A/N:_ In 1863, Thomas Kay, an English weaver, sailed down the Atlantic Ocean to the Isthmus of Panama. He traveled by burro across the Isthmus to the Pacific Ocean where he caught a ship and sailed north to the state of Oregon. He worked at existing mills and then started his own. He married, had a family and his grandsons knowing that some of the finest wool in the region came from the high plains in Eastern Oregon moved the family mill to Pendleton, Oregon a small wheat and cattle town. The mill was re-named Pendleton Woolen Mills and from there the legend grew. The mill first wove Native American Blankets which were traded with the tribes up and down the Pacific coast and the southwest. They later expanded into men's wool shirts and by the 1940's had woman's clothes as well. The 49er jacket that Edith is wearing is an icon. The company re-issues it from time to time and can never keep up with the demand. It is one of the most highly sought after pieces of vintage clothing. Just wanted to let you know that one of the most highly successful privately owned companies in the U.S., was started by an Englishman._ **


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

_**A/N: This is the chapter where Anthony finds out about the California Crawleys. Part of the story is in this chapter, and bits and pieces will continue to show up in some of the ones to come. **_

* * *

The parking lot at the Alameda was full, but because Edith and Anthony were getting there almost two hours after it opened, Edith hoped that some of the early bird buyers would be leaving. She was right. Cruising around the parking lot she spied a car backing out and quickly positioned herself to get the space when the car left. Another car tried to cut her off, but Edith swung wide and popped into the space first.

_Sweet Jesus_, Anthony thought as he looked at her. Turning off the ignition she turned to him and said,

"You have to be aggressive if you want to get a parking space. This is what I mean't about bringing my car. These spaces aren't that wide and your beautiful Jag would have been bumped and banged up by people who don't give a damn. And forgive me for saying so, Dr. Strallan, you don't strike me as being an aggressive . . . . . . . . . driver." She had really wanted to say _aggressive type_ but reigned herself in before she said it. "That is why we are riding in Sally."

She got out and opened the hatch and took out a tall metal contraption with two wheels. Opening out the sides, it turned into a shopping cart. She also took out a bag that had some bottles of water, hats, and sunscreen. She put them in the cart and then locked the hatch.

Looking at Anthony, she said, "What? Oh, the cart. You have to bring something like this to hold anything you might buy. They have grocery carts to rent here, but with all the people walking around they are cumbersome to maneuver. This way you always have someplace to put your purchases and it is small enough that it doesn't get in the way. If you find anything you like today, put it in here."

As they walked toward the ticket booth, Anthony put his hand on her arm and said,

"If we are going to spend the day together perhaps you could remember to call me by my first name."

"Of course. . . . . . .Anthony, I haven't forgotten," and she blinked her eyes in rapid succession at him.

The flea market was huge. It was set up on one of the old runways, and if measured would be about the length of two football fields (American football). Anthony couldn't remember ever seeing so many people in one place at one time. She told him that if he wanted to stop and look at anything to let her know, and to remember to look for her jacket if they got separated.

She took his arm and told him that they were going to start at the back of the market. She had such a casual way of grabbing his hand or arm that he smiled to himself. With the crush of humanity around, he was glad that she wanted to hang on to him; and he hoped it wasn't because she thought he might get lost. There were at least 800 vendors and about 34 aisles. She explained that they would probably get half way through today, but when they were tired and ready to leave, they would be closer to the exit and the car. They slowly walked the aisles laughing and making small talk. In one vendor area he noticed a collection of small medicine bottles. Telling Edith that he was going to stop and look at them, she nodded and told him that she would meet him at a booth farther down the aisle.

Anthony purchased two small bottles. He was intrigued because these bottles still had labels; the ones in his collection just had embossed writing on them, so these would be a wonderful addition to his collection. Also, everytime he looked at them he would remember that he was with Edith when they were purchased. As he was walking out of the booth, he noticed that the next vendor was a bookseller, of sorts. The books were arranged according to subject matter, much like Anthony arranged his books, so it didn't take him long to find the few English classics that the man had. He hadn't noticed any Austin or Bronte in Edith's house, so when he noticed a copy of_ Persuasion_ by Jane Austin, he picked it up. Of all the Austin books, he liked_ Persuasion_ the best. He often wondered why, but finally figured out it was because the hero and heroine were older, more mature, and had suffered the consequences of the English class system not to mention the meddling of family and friends. It wasn't a terribly old edition, published in the 1930's, but the binding and cover were in good condition. He also noticed that no one had written a dedication, so he purchased it and managed to fit it into the same bag as his bottles. He didn't want Edith to see it, not quite yet.

He found her about half way to the end of the aisle going through a box of old vintage linens. Smiling at him she said,

"I want to get some extra napkins for Thanksgiving. It's my turn this year to have it at my house. As she pulled each one out of the box she looked it over thoroughly for stains or rips. If it was in good condition, she handed it to Anthony and when she had twelve, she headed to the vendor. Anthony just looked at her in amazement. She negotiated back and forth with the woman until a price was reached that was satisfactory to both of them. Folding them up in her cart, she took his arm and said,

"Let's get lunch. This place has some of the best food carts in the city. What do you feel like eating?"

Edith and Anthony could have eaten themselves around the world. There were about two dozen carts offering food from Thai to good old American hot dogs.

"Do you like beer sausage?" she asked," because if you do Fatso's is the place to go. They have the most delicious sausage along with some of the most wonderful international beers. We don't want to eat too much or else we won't be hungry when it is time for dinner, so the sausage will give us just enough fuel to carry on with our little excursion."

"Dinner?" Anthony asked somewhat confused.

"Well, you will stay for dinner tonight won't you? I have a roast going and Elsie and Charles will be coming over. Charles would be in his element if he thought he would have a fellow countryman to talk to instead of two jabbering females. Please say you will stay for dinner. You'll get a Care package out of it when you head home."

"In answer to all your questions, yes, I like sausage and beer and yes, I would be delighted to have dinner with you tonight," and with that he took her arm and headed toward Fatso's where they ordered their lunch. Finding a table with an umbrella, they sat down and started to eat. Edith had been right, the sausage and beer were delicious.

Looking at her as she tipped the beer bottle to her lips, he thought he had never met anyone quite like her. Was his sister right? Could this be the American woman Margaret had teased him about, the one to light up his rather less than brilliant life. Maybe! Leaning back in his chair, he looked at her and asked,

"Is your family heritage English by any chance. The reason I ask is that in Yorkshire, England where I come from, the Crawley name has been around for about 500 years."

Putting her beer bottle down on the table she leaned back in her chair, crossed her legs and started her story.

"Yes, we do have an English background. The first Crawley to come to America was Patrick Crawley who arrived in New York in 1843. He was the youngest son of the third Earl of Grantham, whose estate Downton Abbey, was in Yorkshire. I am sure you know that back then only the oldest son could inherit the title and estate, so the other sons were supposed to go into the military or the clergy. Patrick didn't want to do either ,so he asked for his inheritance, jumped on a ship and came to America to make his fortune. He was twenty-two years old, highly educated, and eager for adventure."

"And did he, make his fortune I mean?" Anthony asked taking another sip of his beer.

"Yes he did. He knew that America was expanding west and that is where he was certain his fortune could be made. He made a lot of inquiries and found out that emigrants were heading west from St. Joseph, Missouri in the spring. He didn't want to travel overland, so he made friends with a sea captain, Josiah Wainwright in New York. He bought enough goods to stock a small store and convinced Wainwright that if Josiah could get him to Yerba Buena (present day San Francisco), he would make him a partner in his enterprise. Thus one of the most profitable partnerships was formed. It took them eight months to go around the tip of South America and then up the Pacific Coast. "

"The reason I know so much about Patrick is that like many of you Englishman he kept accurate journals," Edith said as she finished her sausage and beer. "I have most of them. In fact I am in the process of having them bound."

Anthony was intrigued. "Is there more?, he asked.

"More! Heavens yes, " she laughed.

"Eight months after leaving New York_, The Light of Morn_ sailed into the harbor in July 1845. But another Englishman, William Richardson had arrived in 1835 and had erected the first significant homestead not to mention a store. Patrick and Richardson became friends, Richardson sold him a huge plot of land near the bay and an English alliance was formed. In 1846 the United States claimed California after the Spanish/American War ended, and Yerba Beuna was renamed San Francisco. That same year the little community doubled in population when 240 Mormon pioneers arrived from the east on the ship _Brooklyn. _Patrick and Wainwright had arrived at just the right time. Patrick convinced the captain of the _Brooklyn_ to sail back to New York and fill the ship with the goods that a growing community would need. They told the _Brooklyn_ captain to tell the owners of the ship about this community and the money that could be made here. By the time the _Brooklyn_ returned a year later the gold rush had started. The little community had swelled to thousands, people from all over the world were making their way here to strike it rich. The harbor was filled with abandoned ships; crews leaving to find gold. But Patrick didn't need to go to the gold fields, the gold came to him. He had become a middle class shop keeper, as well as a trusted banker. So five years after he left England with his inheritance, Patrick Crawley was well on his way to becoming richer than the English Crawleys ever thought of being."

Anthony was mesmerized. He had read accounts of the western expansion of the United States. No wonder England lost America. The Americans, from the first ones who landed in Massachuestees in 1620 to the pioneers who headed west to the Pacific in the 1840's were a tough people, carving out a life in a hard, unforgiving land; a land where everyone had a chance no matter what their background, nationally or class. And here he was sitting with a descendant of one of those pioneers, an Englishman who left the rigid rules of English life and class behind and started an American dynasty. Sitting looking at Edith with the sun shining on her strawberry blonde hair, he thought she fit the description he had read in books about the strong women of the West. She was definitely the fair haired maiden of the golden West.

They sat looking at each other for what seemed an eternity, although it was probably only about 15 seconds. Anthony wanted to hear more of her story and learn more about her; this woman who bore a resemblance to his great-grandmother and who, in a very short space of time, and without much effort, was slowly weaving herself into the fabric of his life.

It was Edith who finally broke the silence. "Well, we better get going, it's 2:30 and we want to leave before the place closes or we will end up in a huge traffic jam in the parking lot. Maybe you could come back with me another time," she said as she gathered up their plates, napkins, and beer bottles and deposited them in the correct re-cycling containers.

"Oh, I'd like that very much. Maybe you could show me some other fascinating sights in San Francisco?" he asked as he took her arm and headed for the exit. But he was smiling deep inside. The fascinating sight that he wanted to see more of was Edith herself.

* * *

A/N:_ The Alameda Naval Air Station situated on San Francisco bay was once the busiest naval port on the Pacific coast. Situated on a spit of land called Treasure Island, the Alameda was home to the planes of the US Navy on the Pacific coast. The** USS Hornet **sailed from Alameda in 1945 loaded with the planes that James Doolittle would use on his raid of Tokyo, Japan. The air station was decommissioned in 1988 and a super clean-up of it began in 1999._

_The part about Englishman William Richardson is true. He was the first white man, who was not of Spanish descent, to settle in San Francisco. He secured his land from the Spanish Alcalde (governor) and erected a significant homestead near what is now Portsmouth Square. He married one of the Alcade's daughters, and along with his father-in-law laid out a street plan for the soon to be expanded settlement. _

_The British Empire briefly entertained the idea of purchasing the bay from Mexico in 1841 claiming it would secure for Great Britain all the advantages of the finest port in the Pacific. However, little came of this, and San Francisco became a prize of the United States rather than that of British naval power._


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Edith and Anthony talked and laughed non-stop on the drive back to her house. It had been a wonderful day (at least as far as Edith was concerned), and now as she pulled into her driveway she had a happiness about her knowing that he had agreed to stay for dinner

Anthony couldn't remember feeling like this before. As he opened the door to his car to put his purchases on the seat, he gently rubbed his hand over the soft leather of the passenger side. She had sat in this seat before and he wanted her to sit in it again, and again. He quickly chided himself for this giddy feeling he had; after all he wasn't some 20 something schoolboy, he was 48 and divorced; divorced because he couldn't seem to make his wife happy. Did he have it in him to make any woman happy ? Turning and looking at Edith's house he suddenly hoped so. He liked being with her. He knew when he went home from the cocktail party that she had made an impact on him and that he wanted to see her again. And now he was going to have dinner with her, at her house, because he had swallowed his shyness and asked her to spend the day with him.

He closed the door and locked it then walked up the back stairs to her kitchen.

"Finally, she laughed. "I thought you had changed your mind and decided not to stay for dinner after all."

"Absoutely not! I haven't had a home cooked meal in a long time and if it tastes as good as it smells then I will think of this dinner as the perfect ending to a most perfect day."

He was flirting with her, just like he had done earlier in the day – and just like then, Edith liked it.

"Well, unfortunately I don't have any paid staff, so you will have to help me pull this together. Think you are up to the task?", she asked giving him a little smirk.

"Just tell me what you want me to do and I will try to the best of my ability to do it correctly," he laughed.

Edith's kitchen was a perfect square. When entering through the back door her table and chairs were to the right nestled under two banks of windows that met in the corner and bathed the whole kitchen in light. Down from the table was a large pine buffet, that was on the same wall as the windows and adjacent to the archway that led to her formal dining room. Her refrigerator was recessed between two tall pantry cupboards, nestled between the dining room arch and the arch that led into her main hall. To the left of the back door was a long white marble counter. A washer and dryer were situated under the counter next to the door. Banks of cupboards and drawers marched up the wall to the dishwasher. Next came a large farm style sink and finally Edith's pride and joy, a nine burner, double oven Wolf commercial grade gas range. This was a serious kitchen and much to her family's surprise, Edith had become a serious cook.

Walking to the table, Edith moved Anthony's bouquet to the pine buffet. She opened one of the cupboards and took out a tablecloth and four napkins.

"Can you set the table for me, or whatever you call doing it in England. The silverware is in the drawer next to the dishwasher, and the plates and glasses are in the cupboards above."

Anthony was a little stymied. He had never set a table before. He had grown up in a household with live-in help and when he and Maud were married they had a couple that worked for them. But he had a general idea of what to do, so as Edith watched him out of the corner of her eye he proceeded to set the table for four. When he was done, he stood back and looked at it. _Not too bad, pretty good if I say so_, he thought.

By the time Elsie and Charles arrived, dinner was almost ready. The kitchen smelled marvelous. The roast was sitting on the counter resting, waiting for Charles to carve it. Edith was finishing up with the gravy, and Elsie was uncovering her homemade dinner rolls and green beans. Edith and Elsie got the dinner on the table and then the hungry four sat down to eat.

Anthony had never eaten "family style" where all the food was on the table at once, but he quickly got the cadence of passing each bowl or platter of food around the table. The conversation flowed freely, Charles asking questions about Anthony's job and if he still had family back in the UK. Edith listened intently as Anthony talked proudly about his father and brother and Strallan Industries. He explained about how he had always wanted to be a doctor and how his family had encouraged him. Since Charles was a retired English Literature professor, he and Anthony talked endlessly about how difficult it was to make the great English poets and authors interesting to twenty-something American student; students who were probably only taking the course because they needed it for under-graduate work.

As dinner was winding down Edith looked around the table and said, "Now I hope all of you have saved some room for dessert. They are small so believe me when I say they won't overwhelm you."

As she and Elsie were clearing the table, Anthony got to his feet and started to help. Taking the dishes from him she turned him around and said, "Please sit down, I have something you can help me with later."

Dessert were small individual strawberry cheesecakes in ½ pint canning jars. She had gleaned the receipe from a friend of hers who was the new chef at a lovely tearoom called the Albertina Kerr. Albertina had been married to Alfred Kerr who manufactured the canning jars and their family had donated the family home to the city . Because it was on the list of historic houses , it had been turned into a place that housed one of the busiest children's societies in San Francisco. They helped children with physical and mental disabilities, foster care and in a very few instances private adoptions. The tearoom had been started a few years earlier and because of one of Edith's _Whisper_ columns had become one of the hottest places to have lunch in the city. The revenue raised from the tearoom along with the antique store connected to it was poured back into the society.

"This is absolutely wonderful." Anthony gushed as he quickly finished his little dessert.

Edith leaned on her hands looking at him. "Would you like another? I know they aren't very large and believe me, I made more than enough. After all having a second dessert is O.K."

"Well, if Sir Anthony is going to have another one, than I would like another one too," Charles exclaimed giving Elsie the look that said_, I am a big boy and can have seconds._

"Do you play chess, cribbage, or any card games, Sir Anthony? Charles said as he finished off his second dessert.

"Why yes, yes I do, although I haven't played anything for quite a while," Anthony answered. There was always a game of some kind going on at the club I belonged to in London. One of my colleagues at the hospital has invited me to join his poker group. They meet once a month. I haven't given them an answer yet but I am considering it."

"Would you like to play a fast game of cribbage?" Charles asked.

" I would like that very much but I don't want to appear rude to my hostess,"

"You wouldn't mind if we played a game of cribbage, would you Lady Edith?", Charles said as he and Anthony got out of their chairs.

Edith and Elsie looked at each other. They knew that since retiring, Charles hadn't had much of a chance to play the games he once played on a regular basis with his cronies from the university. Meeting Anthony had been good for him and Edith thought maybe for Anthony as well. Being new to the city, she was positive that he hadn't had a chance to meet or make many friends.

"Of course not. Why don't you play in the library while Elsie and I finish up and have a chance to catch up on our news. The coffee is fresh and I will bring you a tray in a little while."

Edith and Elsie finished up the dishes from dinner and Edith put together a Care package for Anthony. She put roast beef, potatoes, green beans in 2 metal pie tins. She covered it with heavy duty foil and put enough gravy for both in a small container. She also put two desserts in the package as well. Then she wrote out simple instructions for heating them up.

"Well, that should hold him for two days at least," Edith laughed.

"Yes, we wouldn't want him to get too weak from lack of food so that he wouldn't be able to call you up and ask to see you again," Elsie mentioned as she took the package and put it in a paper bag.

Edith said nothing but Elsie noticed that she was blushing as she gathered up the tablecloth and napkins and put the bouquet back on the table.

Time went by quickly and before long Edith noticed an hour had passed. Elsie got to her feet saying, "I think they have played cribbage long enough. You and the doctor need some time alone."

Walking into the library they were surprised to see that the game was over.

"That was quick," Elsie said while motioning with her head to Charles that it was time for them to go.

"I'm afraid that I am rather rusty, Charles beat me soundly." Anthony said smiling at Charles and the two women.

"Anthony gave me his cell number. We are having him for dinner next week and then we can begin a serious chess game," Charles said smiling from ear to ear.

Elsie looked at Edith with a knowing smile. Her Charles wasn't any dummy. He had sized Anthony Strallan up earlier in the day, and had come to the conclusion that this just might be the man for their Lady Edith. Edith was the daughter they never had, and Charles wanted to see her happy, and as he had told Elsie, it wouldn't hurt if they helped a bit in bringing that happiness about.

Good-byes were said and suddenly they were alone again in the kitchen and Anthony noticed that the clock above the sink said 10:30.

"Well, I best be going too," he said. But his feet wouldn't move.

"Wait a minute," Edith said as she went to the refrigerator and took out the paper bag with his two dinners inside. "Remember I told you if you stayed for dinner you would get a Care package to take home – well here it is."

"You really didn't have to do this," he said smiling that somewhat crooked smile of his.

"Oh yes I did. You probably eat your main meal in the cafeteria at the hospital each day and while the food is good you need something other than a soup or sandwich in the evening, " she said taking his arm and walking him to the front door.

"How did you know," he laughed.

Opening the door she walked out on the front porch with him. "Thank you for such a nice day. I usually go to the Alameda by myself but I am glad that you wanted to go. I had a very nice time.

Edith had noticed that they could talk on and on about many different things but then suddenly there would be a deafening silence, as if one or the other was thinking seriously about what to say next.

Without fail, Anthony was the one to start talking again. Looking at her and smiling he said,

"Edith, would you think me presumptuous if I asked to see you again?"

"No, not at all. I would like that very much." She answered

"How about dinner tomorrow night. You could take me to another one of your favorite places," and this time he was giving her a full smile and she could see the sparkle in his blue eyes.

"Yes, that would be nice," she replied and she was sure he could hear her heart beating through her chest.

"What time then?" and he feared that he might appear too anxious.

"Why don't you pick me up around four o'clock. It isn't dark yet and we can go down to the wharf and walk around with all the tourists. Then you can take me to one my favorite restaurant. Is that okay with you?"

"I will see you tomorrow at four. Thank you again for the excursion today and the wonderful dinner. Goodnight."

Anthony lingered just a heartbeat. In that one brief moment Edith thought she might reach up and kiss him on the cheek, but she stopped, put her hand on his arm and said simply, "Goodnight then, until tomorrow."

She watched him get into his car and she waved as he drove away. She suddenly had an odd feeling. For the first time in two years she was letting her guard down, and she shivered as she thought about it. She had deliberately kept herself out of harms way as far as relationships were concerned, but now within the space of eleven hours, she had allowed herself to fall under the spell of a very charming man. She could have said no to his dinner invitation, but tonight her brain wasn't in control – her heart was.

* * *

The last two weeks in August is when our immediate and extended vacation together. The reason there is so much food in this chapter is because that is what my sisters-in-law and I do during this two week camping vacation, cook. But we also drink, laugh and talk and enjoy family. I promised my husband that I would leave Anthony and Edith home and I did except that I cheated and penciled in this chapter, and then typed it when we got home. What can I say!


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Anthony Strallan rang Edith's doorbell exactly at 3:55. Edith had been ready for almost an hour, mainly because she had been nervous and restless most of the day. Saturday had been wonderful walking around with him at the Alameda and then dinner back at her house, but they had been around people all day. This would be the first time they would be alone together since that brief time in the cocktail lounge. That night had certainly ended in disaster, but somehow it hadn't dissuaded him from wanting to see her again.

* * *

Almost every Sunday morning Edith and Thomas went to breakfast together. It was their time to catch up with what each other had been doing all week. Today they went to _Mother's Café_, a small place whose food was so good you didn't need to eat anything again until dinner. The portions were large and everything was homemade. The café was a popular place so they always tried to get there before 9:00 so they could sit at their favorite corner table where they could talk without being overheard by others. Edith ordered the Farmer's Breakfast as well as a large orange juice and coffee. Thomas always marveled at how much she could eat and never seem to gain weight. She had the appetite of a long haul truck driver.

Sitting there eating, Edith knew she had to get this Anthony Strallan thing off her chest and get Thomas' opinion.

"So, what have you been up to all week," he asked casually taking a sip of his coffee.

"Well . . . . .uh. . . . Anthony Strallan , the doctor, sent me a beautiful bouquet of flowers on Friday. Yesterday he showed up at the house and asked me to honor my father's request and show him around town so I took him down to the Alameda ,then he stayed and had dinner with the Carsons and me, and before he left he asked me if I would have dinner with him tonight," Edith said finally taking a breath.

Thomas looked at her long and hard then finally said, "I think that's great. About time you got out in the world again."

"Oh, Thomas," she said as she rolled her eyes and continued to eat her breakfast, "it's not like that at all."

"Well, what is it like then? I like the good doctor. You know why I like him. . . . . .hmm? I like him because he is mature and stable. You, my dear are an old soul, and need someone like him; someone who will love you with every breath in his body."

"Who said anything about love?" she huffed. "We have just seen each other a couple of times that's all."

"Well, all I can say is that he must like these 'couple of times' with you to want to have more. Punk, you know because of my life style I think I am a fairly good judge of men, and your Dr. Strallan is a good man. Give him a chance, don't shove him away with both hands because you had one bad experience. In other words, relax. If something good is supposed to happen it will, just give it a fighting chance, promise?"

"You know this kind of thing doesn't work very well for me!" she said finishing her coffee.

"Do you like him?" Thomas continued.

"Yes, yes I do. He has a naturalness about him. He fits in. Charles and Elsie seem to like him and they have invited him to dinner sometime this week so he and Charles can start a chess game."

Thomas put his hand over hers and said,

"Edith, somehow you have managed to convince yourself that you aren't worthy of a man's love. Well, that's just crap. What happened with Graham wasn't your fault and neither was the thing with Glassheen. He was the weak one Edith not you. Go with the flow, relax, enjoy Strallan's company, think you could do that?" he said as he grabbed the bill and steered her toward the doorway.

After Thomas took her home, Edith contemplated what they had talked about at breakfast. She wouldn't deny that she enjoyed Anthony's company, more than she probably ought too. But could she do as Thomas suggested, relax and just go with the flow of things? She guessed she would find out tonight.

* * *

She was sitting on her hall bench when the doorbell rang trying to figure out why her heart was pounding in her chest, and her hands were clammy. _What's wrong with me_, she thought to herself as she slowly opened the door.

Anthony Strallan took her breath away. He had on a dark blue suit, pale blue shirt and a matching paisley tie. With his blond hair and Paul Newman eyes, the man was absolutely drop dead handsome, and he was taking her to dinner. She remembered that she thought he was rather good looking the night of the cocktail party, but then she was innebriated and couldn't remember much about that night other than she almost got sick in his car. She felt her knees go weak.

Anthony tried not to stare, but as far as he was concerned Edith was the most beautiful woman he knew, and she had agreed on two occasions now to spend time with him. That in itself was difficult to wrap his brain around. His mouth was saying all the pleasantries, but his brain was in overdrive. Edith looked lovelyl . She had on a light wool suit in a dark harvest goldish-brown that accentuated her copper colored hair. She wore high-heeled shoes, but not the tall platform ones that she had worn before. As he escorted her to his car he thought that to an outsider, they looked like a very stylish couple; maybe even a husband and wife heading out for a Sunday dinner.

As they got in his car Edith told Anthony the fast way to get down to Fisherman's Wharf. She didn't want to go through the twisting and turning that they would do if he used his GPS gadget and Anthony was amazed that they got there in ten minutes. When he mentioned that fact to Edith, she just laughed and reminded him that as a native she knew the fast way to get anywhere in the city. They parked the car behind Pier 45 and started to walk down the wharf. Edith explained to him that the Wharf had been built over the rotted hulls of the sailing ships that had been abandoned during the gold rush. Without crews to sail them most of them were left to rot and since the harbor had become important to commerce, the city fathers, Patrick Crawley among them, figured ways to pull the ships out of the main waterway. The ships were anchored close to shore and left for one year. If after that time they hadn't been re- claimed by their captains or crews, they were dismantled of all valuables and what was left was sunk. Hence the first wharf took shape over the hulls of abandoned ships.

Anthony was fascinated. What a rich history his new city had. As they continued to walk along Anthony casually took hold of Edith's hand and put it through his arm all the while continuing to ask questions and Edith responding with a little story or antidote. They walked past the Ferry Building, turned the corner and walked out on one of the smaller wharf's. Their destination was _Joe's Steak House._ Edith had called ahead to make sure that she and Anthony could sit at her favorite table – the one nestled in the corner nook by two windows that looked out onto the bay. It was cozy and private and she had always liked it because it was quiet and you couldn't hear the other diners talking. The restaurant itself was small; only 12 tables. The present owner Alfred Nugent, had taken a rundown place and within two years had turned it into what Edith thought was the best little steak house on the wharf. He kept the original name, and scaled down the amount of tables. Edith had done a Whispers column about it which had only made it that more popular.

Dinner was light and easy. Anthony had surf and turf and Edith had an end cut prime rib. Everything about the dinner was wonderful. They talked non-stop and never seemed to run out of things to say. About half-way through the meal, Anthony put down his fork and looking at her beautiful brown eyes said,

"Edith, I hope you will consider coming back to pediatrics to volunteer. Mazie gave me a pep talk about how good you are on the floor and how much the children look forward to Tuesdays and Thursdays when you show up. Please think about it."

Edith normally didn't blush, but she felt her face get hot and in a whisper said,

"I was mortified about what happened in your car the night of the cocktail party – afraid to face you again really. But then you sent me those lovely flowers and after what a good time we had yesterday, yes, I'll show up in pediatrics on Tuesday," she finished giving him one of her beautiful smiles.

"Good, I'm glad. I wouldn't want to be the one responsible for botching up Mazie's well oiled machine," and he laughed as he continued looking at her.

Continuing on with their dinner, he asked more questions about the founder of the California Crawleys Her story the previous day had intrigued him, he wanted to know more.

"Well, San Francisco grew at an alarming rate after the discovery of gold. But like all things when it was played out many people moved on. Patrick had married one of William Richardson's daughters thus bringing Spanish blood into the family. Between Wainright, Richardson and Patrick they had a hand in almost every business in San Francisco and in the mid 1860's started a packet boat business. There were many farms and ranches down along the Big Sur. The only trail down there was an old Indian one and because of it being so narrow wagons couldn't travel it. So, the people down there didn't have any way of getting goods except by mule train and that took practically forever given the condition of the trails. Wainright had confiscated one of the small abandoned sailing ships in the harbor years before and he and Patrick decided to send word to the people down in the Big Sur that twice a year, November and April a packet boat would sail down to them. All they had to do was build a crane system out over the cliffs so that the small tenders on the boats could land on a beach and their_ 'packets' _could be hoisted up. The settlers did and November and April became the rendevous time for them to get together, much like the trappers did in the Rocky Mountains. Thus another Crawley enterprise became successful," she said as she cut another piece of her steak and popped it into her mouth.

Patrick and his wife Mirella had four children. His sons went into business with him, his daughters married merchants and the family expanded. In the 1880's one of his sons went into business with A.J. Spreckles, the sugar king. It seems that the Crawleys were always at the right place at the right time. Patrick died in 1913 at age 92. His wife Mirella lived to be 98. Longevity runs in the family so it seems. He kept his journals through all his years. His last entry was the day before he died. They say that America is the melting pot of the world, well I can tell you that the Crawleys are a melting pot as well. If Patrick had stayed in England, he would have probably married a proper English lady. But by coming here he started a family that has Spanish, Irish, Scottish, German, Italian, French and thanks to my grandfather Ira, Jewish blood," she laughed looking at Anthony.

"What a legacy," Anthony said leaning back and looking at her. "I only wish mine were as exciting. I'm afraid that mine is similar to what Patrick's would have been had he never left. I stayed in England, married an English girl, and started my career. It only took me -let me see- about 169 years to get to California and start over as Patrick did," and all the while blue eyes were locked on brown ones.

* * *

They had been sitting eating and talking for about two hours. Somehow neither one of them wanted to get up and go, Edith certainly didn't.

Gathering all her nerve she said, "Anthony, I have to drive down the coast next weekend. There is a pistachio farm that I made arrangements to visit. Would you like to come with me. I could show you the Big Sur."

Looking at her and giving her his lopsided grin, the only word he said was, "Yes." Neither one knew that the heart of the other was ready to burst through their chests. This night had been perfect, almost enchanted somehow. As Anthony escorted Edith to her house, he was aching to lean down and kiss her, but felt that it still might be too soon. Edith on the other hand was thinking about what Thomas had said to her earlier in the day; to just relax and go with the flow. Thomas was right, Anthony was older and more mature than most of the men she knew, and she liked that about him, but as she was finding out there were so many more things about him that she liked as well.

Standing on her porch an hour later she noticed that he looked a little nervous, but finally said, "Would you think me too forward if I asked for your number?"

"Give me your phone," she said putting her hand out. He never took his eyes off of her as he handed it to her and she proceeded to enter both her land line and cell numbers into his contacts.

Opening her bag she smiled at him and said, "Turnabouts fair play, may I have yours?"

He felt like he was in a trance as he stood there smiling and slowly speaking the numbers.

He took her off guard when he reached for her hand, brought it to his lips and kissed it. "Goodnight Edith, he said smiling ear to ear. "I'll call you this week about the trip down to Big Sur and I hope to see you on Tuesday and Thursday." With that he turned, walked down the steps, turned to wave at her as he got in his car and left.

He turned on the GPS to help him get home. He was in a trance; he needed all the help he could get.

Edith leaned her back against the front door after shutting it, and closing her eyes she imagined what it would have been like to really kiss him goodnight. She wondered what his arms would feel like around her, his lips on hers. Suddenly her whole body was hot. She hadn't had a feeling like this for over two years, and while Gus Glassheen had been a good kisser, she knew deep inside that Anthony Strallan, if and when he really kissed her, would undoubtedly curl her toes, and she would fall into a sexual abyss. _Maybe after all this time that wouldn't be so bad_, she thought as she headed toward her bathroom to take a relaxing shower.

* * *

For those of you who are following this story and have written such wonderful reviews I am sorry that it has taken so long to get this chapter posted. September was a busy month - we welcomed our first grandchild - and there aren't enough words to explain the thrill of watching him being born. I also had to finish up some investigating into my side of our family history. Hopefully I don't have to do any more traveling and I can get it printed and put together for our children as part of their Christmas.

The story of the building of Fisherman's Wharf is true as is the part about the packet boats and the Big Sur.

Thank you again for your kindness


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